The Blacksmith's Favor
by Sy Itha
Summary: Medieval AU. Korra, a knight-commander for her father's kingdom, struggles with her duties as a peacekeeper after a brutal civil war. After her father pressures her to take a more diplomatic role, Korra finds herself causing more fights than preventing them. Having no where else to turn, she seeks out help from her close friend Asami, the blacksmith's daughter. Korrasami.
1. Chapter 1

Korra kept her head bowed as she rode Naga through the market. People would recognize her no matter what, but she did not want to invite conversation, or worse, complaint. She was the only daughter and heir to her father's kingdom, and nobles made a habit of cornering her with their problems.

The market was ordinary enough that day. The fresh grass had been trampled into a pasty mud with the arrival of spring rain. The smell of the day's work mingled with the distant scent of livestock.

Korra steered Naga in the direction of the blacksmiths and reined her to a stop out front. She patted the horse's mane and whispered, "Easy, girl," before dismounting. She guided the mare over to a post and tied her reigns in place, not that Korra expected Naga would run. Out of all the combat-ready horses under her father's command, Naga was the best trained. "I'll be back, all right?" She hoisted the heavy pack of armor off the saddlebag and slung it over her shoulder. Instead of taking the front entrance, she walked down the alley to the back courtyard. She looked from the forge to the anvil, then grinned when she spotted a young woman by a weapon rack. "Asami!" she called.

The raven-haired girl turned toward her and smiled. She took off her heavy gloves and wiped her hands on her soot-stained leather apron. "Korra," she called back. "What brings you here at this hour?"

Korra walked over to a free table and hefted the bag onto it, causing the armor to clang together. "Some quick repairs, if you think you can manage."

"So you carted your armor to me in a sack?" she asked. The scolding look in her green eyes made Korra look away.

"Well, how else was I supposed to get it here?"

"With a cart? With help?" Asami opened the bag and pulled out the cuirass, pauldron, and gauntlet.

"That would have required permission to leave." She watched Asami turn over the pauldron, undoubtedly observing the damage.

"And a lecture from your father," Asami added. "How did you manage to dent this?" She pointed to a pin that had been completely bent sideways.

Korra shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. I just...was having trouble raising my arm at practice this morning. I thought you could fix it real quick. I mean, you can fix it, right?" She leaned on the table, waiting for an answer. Instead of giving one, Asami grabbed a pair of tongs and a hammer and spent several minutes trying to maneuver the piece in different directions. "Well?" she prompted.

Asami glanced at her with a smile. "You were in here just last week to fix a dent in your cuirass, the gold leaf one your father had commissioned for your birthday."

"Yes, I know. He's still furious about that one."

"And the week before that, it was to fix that sword you had broken." The smile slowly curled into a grin. "And before that, the crack in your helm-"

"Yes, I know. And my father will lock me away in the castle if he finds another ruined set of armor, so please fix it for me? I'll pay double your rate."

Asami paused in her meddling and put down her tools. "Oh, you don't have to do that. I mean, we're friends, right? And friends help one another out."

Korra caught the inquiring tone in Asami's voice. "So, what do you want me to test out?"

"Oh, nothing. I mean, you don't have to. It's not that I'm forcing you to in some sort of exchange, I just-"

"Asami, as long as whatever it is won't kill me, I'm glad to help." Korra still had bruises from Asami's last failed project, but if it got her armor fixed, she was happy to help.

"Great!" Asami shoved her armor back at her. "And you should have full range of motion in your pauldron again. It just needed a small adjustment."

Korra accepted the pauldron with a frown. "Wait, are you serious? It only needed a little bit of work?"

Asami grinned. "Yes, now come with me before my father realizes I'm cutting out on work today and we both end up in trouble."

Korra nodded toward the alley as she began packing up her armor. "Naga is around the front."

"I'll grab what I need and meet you there."Asami grabbed her gloves and tools, but before she turned to leave she paused and said, "Thank you, Korra. I appreciate this."

Korra waved her away before hoisting the sack of armor back over her shoulder and walking back out to Naga. "Did you miss me?" she asked, securing the saddlebag once more. She patted Naga's snout and the horse snorted softly. "Lady Sato will be going on a ride with us," she said, straightening her tunic as she spoke. "Tell me, do I look presentable to escort a woman in public? Father always says I have the worst manners."

"Do you talk to your horse often?"

Korra turned and saw Asami walking down the alley. She had tossed aside her blacksmith's apron, but still wore her heavy tunic and stained trousers. Her face still had blackened smudges from working the forge all day. Korra realized she was staring and glanced back at Naga. "Well, what you should have asked was if Naga ever talks back."

Asami grinned and passed over another saddlebag. "I know better than to ask that." She nodded at the bag Korra was securing. "Now hurry up, before anyone notices we're gone."

Korra swung up into the saddle and scooted forward. She turned and offered Asami her hand, pulling her up behind her. "You're just lucky Naga's the strongest horse in the regiment."

"I could get off and run beside you if you prefer," Asami said, wrapping her arms around Korra's middle. "We'll need an open space away from town."

"I know just the place, then." Korra dug her heels into the flanks of her horse. "Go Naga!" They took off down the main road, weaving through the foot traffic and out of the market. Korra steered them out of town as quickly as possible and out toward an open field. They rode for several minutes, Asami clinging tight the entire time. "Are you scared of falling off?" Korra asked, glancing back. She caught Asami staring ahead, her face flushed.

"I...what?" she asked, meeting Korra's gaze. "Never! I'd never be scared of riding!"

Korra laughed and looked forward again. "Of course, my lady."

"I'm serious! Korra!" But Korra only laughed and spurred Naga on faster, causing Asami to yelp and hold tighter. "Do you realize how many times I've almost set myself on fire? Why would a pony ride scare me?"

"Say whatever you like, Asami. Your secret is out now." Korra finally slowed Naga, bringing her down from a gallop to a full stop in the middle of a field. She looked around for signs of battle, but saw only the tall grass. No scorch marks. No gouges in the earth. _Perfect_. The field sloped down toward the start of the eastern hills, which eventually gave way to forests. It was as far from the battlegrounds as they could get. She snapped from her thoughts when she felt Asami crawl down from the saddle and chuckled. "Why else would you hold on so fiercely?" she asked.

Asami tossed her hair back and grabbed her bag from Naga's saddle. "To feel your perfectly sculpted body, of course." Korra laughed again and Asami stalked off to the other end of the field. "Whenever you are ready, I can set you up for the test."

Korra dismounted and joined her. "What exactly am I testing, if I might ask? Do you promise that it won't turn me orange this time?"

Asami pulled a bundle of what looked like sticks from the sack and brandished one at Korra. "That was one failed test." She began snapping the sticks together. "And you did not apply the salve correctly so it was entirely your fault." She nodded toward the sack. "There should be a tarp in there. Get it out."

Korra watched the way Asami's slender hands manipulated the contraption into shape. Each delicate finger worked quickly to form the framework for an arch. Suddenly, she realized Asami had said something. "Yes, my lady," she said, reaching into the bag. She pulled out the tarp and unfurled it, letting the breeze catch the edges. Asami quickly reached up and caught a corner. "Careful, this is very delicate."

"And light," Korra said, bundling up the fabric again. "How did you get your hands on this?"

Asami only offered her a smirk and said, "I have my ways." She held up the completed frame of whatever the sticks were supposed to make. "All right. We're ready for the fabric."

Korra handed her the bundle and patiently watched her pull the sheet over the corners of the contraption, pulling it taut. "I have no idea what this is," Korra said after a moment of study.

"This," Asami lifted the object, "is going to make you fly."

Korra took a step back. "Excuse me?" she asked.

"Well, not fly. But you should be able to glide on wind currents for a short time." She thrust the contraption at Korra. "You'll just need to hold onto these." She pointed at two leather straps at the head of the contraption. "Then, run for the edge of the hill with this hoisted over your head."

"You're going to get me killed," Korra accused.

"It's not a very long drop, honestly you act as if I want you to go jump off a mountain."

"If it's so safe, why aren't _you_ trying it, then?"

Asami placed a hand to her chest. "A delicate lady like me?" Korra snorted and she rolled her eyes. "If you want the truth, it's because you're smaller and the only other person I can talk into trying this. I figure it has a better chance of working with a lighter load." Asami stood there, holding the probably lethal contraption and staring at Korra relentlessly with her pitying gaze.

Finally, Korra groaned and snatched up the device. "Help me do this right," she said. "And you better help me fix anything I do to my armor next time."

"Of course," said Asami, leading Korra to what felt like an arbitrary spot in the field. She spun Korra so that she faced the slope that dropped away. "Raise your arms." Korra did so and Asami helped loop the leather straps into place. "Just hold onto these and run as fast as you can toward the slope. When you get to the edge, jump as high as you can and keep your body tucked together. You might cause everything to tip over if you flail around too much."

"Does this actually have a practical application?" Korra asked, testing the strength of her grip.

"Haven't you ever wanted to fly?" Asami asked.

"I prefer to keep my feet firmly on the ground thank you."

Asami sighed. "You don't think it _might _be advantageous to be able to, I don't know, fly over an army? See their positions? Get behind enemy lines?"

"That...sounds reasonable actually."

"My father thinks it is a terrible idea, and so I want to test it."

Korra laughed. "Oh, I see what's really at work here."

Asami gave her a little shove. "Just do the test."

With a deep breath, Korra readjusted her grip on the new contraption and angled it above her head as best she could. She felt a breeze tug up on the fabric and she pulled down. "Woah, it's trying to escape."

"Perfect! Now's the exact time you should try."

Korra glanced at the slope. The rolling grass whistled as the wind gusted through. She grit her teeth and ran, taking off as fast as she could toward the slope. The contraption tugged upward, pulling Korra with. "Hey!" she yelled, holding on tighter. "I think it might work!"

"Excellent!" Asami yelled.

Korra ran faster, laughing as she leapt at the edge of the slope. For a second, she felt weightless, then the uncomfortable tug of the earth pulled her toward the ground. She yelled, tried to twist her arms out of the straps, and landed on one foot. She screamed when her ankle rolled and pain lanced through her leg. The rest of her body made contact with the ground and she tumbled down the hill, completely tangled in Asami's now broken contraption.

She lay unmoving at the bottom of the slope until she heard the pounding footsteps of Asami running toward her. "Korra, are you okay?"

She groaned and tried to toss the contraption aside, but it clung to her. She tried to stand, but pain shot through her leg and she lay back down. "I'm alive," she said.

"Oh, thank the ancestors." Asami knelt by her, reaching out and slowly prying her arms out of the straps. "Let me know if anything I do hurts." She tugged the contraption aside, but most of it remained trapped underneath her. "Oh Korra." Asami bent over and wrapped her arms around her. "Forgive me." She lifted Korra up and placed her back down, off the contraption. "I could have killed you."

"No, I don't think anything that dramatic could have happened." Korra managed to pull herself into a sitting position. "Though I'm going to bruise," she said, running a hand along her sore backside. "And I don't think I can walk quite yet. I landed wrong on my ankle. Do you mind having a look for me?"

Asami knelt in front of her. "Which one?"

Korra groaned as she stretched out her leg. "The left one. I just need to know how bad the swelling is."

Asami carefully pried off her boot and tossed it aside. She rolled up the pant leg to Korra's trouser. Her warm hands felt good against the cold skin. "It looks a little red," she said, gently pulling Korra's foot into her lap. "This is all my fault." She carefully turned Korra's ankle a couple directions causing the pain to flare up briefly. "I don't think it's broken, but we need to wrap it."

She reached for her invention and tugged the fabric off. Korra watched helplessly as Asami ripped the fabric. "What are you doing?" she asked. "I thought you said that was valuable!"

"It's ruined anyways," Asami muttered, tearing the cloth into strips. "It's my invention that got you hurt, so sit still and let me bandage your foot." She took a strip of cloth and began gently wrapping it around Korra's foot, brow furrowed in concentration. After wrapping the second strip of cloth around, she sighed and placed Korra's foot aside and leaned into the grass. "We'll have to wait a bit before heading back, but you should be fine."

Korra nodded and leaned back as well. "So, what do you want to do while we wait?"

Asami smiled softly. "Why don't you tell me how you actually ruined your armor."

Korra groaned and shook her head. "It's a long story."

"We have time."

* * *

**A/N:** So, on tumblr, swan2swan asked for an AU where Korra was a knight and Asami was the blacksmith's daughter, who she slowly fell in love with. Ozkit, another tumblr user, drew Korra in full armor and Asami forging a blade at an anvil. Sy Itha and I (Michelle Magly) saw the drawing, and just _had_ to write this. Just a warning, this is going to be a slow story...we think. I'm imagining it like that, anyways.

Side note, you should not do what Asami did in the event of a sprained ankle. She doesn't know better though, and we wanted the feeeeeeels.

BTW, we are streaming via Twitch on the channel Luraline this Friday starting at 5 pm pacific. Stop by and watch us fail at video games.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

_Earlier That Day_

The day had started with a summons from her father. Korra groaned as she read over the letter before tossing it aside on her bed. Her chambers were stark, nearly barren. Ever since the civil war, the castle had been devoid of grandeur. People had shifted living quarters so much since her uncle's administration was integrated into court. In a way, many people still felt like prisoners of war. They still flinched at the sight of Korra, Slayer of Unalaq.

She pulled off her nightwear and dug a simple tunic and trousers from her wardrobe. The tunic lay on her well, a light cloth with dark blue embroidery at the cuffs and collar. Her father had ordered new clothes for her to be tailored after the war's end. His ambassador-in-training needed to look like more than a common soldier, he said.

With a sigh, Korra finished tidying up and left her room for the morning. She found her father in the main hall, sitting next to her mother and his advisors. The advisors they had absorbed from Unalaq's kingdom sat at the far end of the table with Korra's cousins, Eska and Desna. The twins caught her gaze when she walked in, though their deadpan looks gave nothing away.

"Korra, finally." Her father looked up from an ancient tome and waved her over. "I have a task for you."

She walked over to his side and bowed. "I am at your service," she said.

Tonraq smiled and glanced to his wife. "See how cordial she is? I knew those lessons with Tenzin would pay off."

Senna smiled at her daughter. "You've improved, my dear."

Korra smiled back. "Thank you, mother."

"And since you are showing improvement, I've decided to employ you in settling a dispute." Tonraq closed the tome and reached for a folded piece of parchment. "My brother left many unresolved debts upon his death." He unfolded the paper and handed it to Korra. "One of which is taking a violent turn. These cabbage farmers are threatening harm to our shepherds because of some absurd promise Unalaq made them." He sighed and massaged his temple. "Visit the cabbage farmers and see if you can talk sense into them. You will be representing me as a knight-commander. Do not disappoint."

Korra nodded. "I'll take my leave, if you don't mind."

Her father waved his hand. "The sooner the better. I'd hate for bloodshed to result from this."

She left the hall for the armory, where an attendant helped her into her armor. She was on her way to the stable when she ran into two of her father's knights. "Mako, Bolin!" she called, waving to them.

The two brothers glanced over at her. "Knight-commander!" Bolin shouted, running over and clapping her on the shoulder. "How are you?"

"Well," Korra said. "I'd be better if I did not have to run errands for my father."

"Ah, the crushing weight of responsibility," Bolin sighed. "Why don't you ask Mako to do your errands instead?" He nodded in his brother's direction. The taller man lingered in the distance, glancing at both of them occasionally.

Korra shook her head. "I doubt he wants to deal with angry cabbage farmers. He hardly wants to even talk with me."

"Oh, he'll get over that. If he starts writing poetry, then we'll worry." Bolin turned to his brother. "Why are you standing all the way over there?" he asked.

Mako made a noncommittal gesture and Korra took a step toward the stables. "You know, you guys should come with me. I could use the help if the farmers decide to attack."

Bolin snorted. "Hey, the peasants are..." He chuckled a bit more. "Revolting." Korra rolled her eyes when Bolin nudged her. When she did not respond, he cleared his throat and looked away. "Brother! Duty calls. Korra needs our help settling a dispute."

Finally, Mako walked over to them. "Is something wrong?" he asked. "Knight-commander. Do you require our help?"

Korra chuckled and leaned her hand on her sword pommel. "Mako, please tell me you're going to still use my actual name on occasion."

He stiffened. "Have I offended you?" he asked.

Bolin clapped him on the shoulder. "You're making things worse," he said, then nodded toward the stables. "Why don't we help Korra before you make more of an ass of yourself?"

The three of them left for the stables and mounted up. Bolin and Mako followed Korra down the road that led to the pastures. It was not long before they encountered the group of farmers blockading the path. They sat across the road, blocking any carts from coming and going. Korra slowed Naga to a stop and dismounted, Mako and Bolin doing the same.

"What's going on here?" she asked, walking toward the farmers. Some of them stood up to meet her. One brandished a pitchfork at her.

"Not a step closer, Slayer," the farmer with the pitchfork threatened.

Korra glanced down at the prongs pointed at her chest. She brushed them aside. "It's Knight-commander, actually," she said.

"What seems to be the problem, here?" Mako asked, stepping forward.

"The problem is that our king sees fit to punish us for his war," said one of the farmers, a younger man.

"What, he made you sit in the middle of this road?" Bolin asked.

Korra laughed, but Mako brought his hand to his forehead and groaned. "I'm sorry," Korra said when she caught more glares from the farmers. "Is there anything I can do to be of assistance? We need the roads to be passable."

One of the farmers laughed at her. "Right, you need that. We also need farmland to grow our food. But your father seems more than ready to just give it up to the shepherds!"

Korra crossed her arms. "Oh, right," she said. "It's my father's fault he had to integrate two entire kingdoms together after Unalaq attacked us."

"This is not what we asked for!" said the farmer.

Mako stepped in between the two of them. "Hey, I think everyone needs to calm down a moment."

The farmer pushed him aside. "Shove off. Can't you see I'm talking to the Slayer of Unalaq?"

"Don't touch him," Korra growled.

"And don't threaten the farmers!" Mako shoved her.

"Mako, as your Knight-commander, I order you to step down."

The farmer laughed and pointed at Korra with the pitchfork again. "Look at the little knight. Can't even keep her soldiers in line."

* * *

_Now_

"And that's when the brawl started."

Asami nodded and glanced down at Korra's leg. "So you fought a horde of farmers. How did you get your pauldron dented?" She watched Korra flex her foot again, slowly. She had to fight the urge to reach out and touch her.

Korra shrugged. "Mako shoved me and I fell on my shoulder. Must have hit a rock on the road or something."

Asami met Korra's gaze. "He shoved you?"

Korra waved her hand dismissively. "He needed to. I was about to punch a farmer in the face. Father would not have approved." Korra sighed. She looked away. "Well, he will find out what happened eventually, but for now..." She smiled at Asami. "This was a nice escape," she said. For a moment Asami forgot that she should breathe. She often wished her days could be filled with more moments like this one. With effort, she forced herself to speak.

"How does your ankle feel?" she asked.

Korra smirked. "Sprained."

Asami shook her head. She would never get over how annoyingly endearing Korra's crooked smile was. "Again, I'm sorry about all that."

Korra shrugged, but did not dismiss the apology. She picked at the grass, instead, studying the ground. "So...how are things with your father?"

Asami shook her head. "About the same as always. As long as I keep my head down and do what I'm told, everything is fine." The words held more bitterness than she had intended.

"I wish there was something I could do." Korra put a hand on her shoulder. "But I'm really only good at hitting things and I don't think you want me to do that."

Asami shook her head. "He's not that bad, really." Korra gave her a skeptical look. "He is determined to carry his grief with him forever." She pulled her knees up to her chest. "I think he takes it out on me because I look so much like her."

"That doesn't make it okay," Korra murmured.

"I know, but...he's my father." Asami shrugged. "He's all I have."

Korra nudged her shoulder. "You've got me."

Asami swallowed the rising lump in her throat. "Do I now?" She stared fixedly at the grass.

Korra leaned away and Asami immediately regretted her words. "Well, I mean, I'm not family. But I'm your friend, right? We do more than smith things and test inventions, don't we?" Asami thought back, but could not recall such a moment. She wished that friendship was enough with Korra, but it hurt. It hurt to be close to Korra and far from her affections. Still worse was being away from her, and so she settled on friendship, even if it stung. "Um, I mean...Oh!" Asami glanced at Korra to see her grinning. "Why don't you and I go to the tourney together?"

"The tourney?" Asami asked. _Together?_

"We're having a big one in honor of the Earth Queen. She's visiting the kingdom soon. There will be plays, carnivals, and Tenzin said he was going to plan something special. Anyways, I'll be in a tourney at the end of the day, and I'd like for you to attend as my honored guest." The words left Korra's mouth in a rush.

Asami laughed softly. "Honored, hm?" she asked.

"Well, you did save my life and all." Korra gestured to her foot.

Asami nodded and stood up, brushing the blades of grass off her clothes. "Yes, from a terrifying ankle injury." She stooped over and helped Korra to her feet. She looped Korra's arm over her shoulders and tried not to focus on the way their bodies touched.

"It almost had me there, but you rescued me just in time." Together, they hobbled up the hill.

"Can you still ride? I mean, do you want me to take the reins?"

"Are you sure you're not too scared to ride Naga?" Korra asked.

Asami blushed. "I...well..." Instead of embarrassing herself further, she thrust Korra toward Naga. "You lead, then."

With some effort, Korra pulled herself astride Naga and turned to help Asami up. She settled behind Korra and wrapped her arms around the knight's middle. Riding behind Korra was a personal hell. It took all of her willpower to keep her hands in a respectable place around Korra's stomach. Her fingers itched to trace the well-toned muscles she could feel beneath Korra's tunic. She wanted to rake her nails down Korra's back. The thoughts spiraled from there, and Asami bit her lip, trying to shake the images from her mind.

"Are you alright?" Korra asked.

"I'm fine." Asami wished her voice didn't sound quite so strained.

"You're very quiet."

"Just..." -_thinking about you naked-_ "redesigning the glider in my head."

"Ah. I'll leave you to it, then." They spent the rest of the ride back to the blacksmith's in silence. Asami allowed herself to lean into Korra, her head resting against her back. Korra would just think she was tired, and in exchange Asami would have intensely dissatisfying dreams that night. Finally, Naga came to a stop. "We've arrived, my lady."

With a sigh, Asami pulled herself from Korra and dismounted. "Thank you, Knight-commander," she said, smiling up at Korra. She pulled the remains of her ruined glider down and spared one more glance at her. "I suppose I should find a favor for you to place upon your lance."

"I'd be honored my lady." Korra gave her another lopsided grin. "And I will be the envy of all the knights."

Asami turned away and busied herself with her glider, trying to hide her blush. "You just want to rub it in Mako's face."

Korra laughed. "Would that be so wrong?"

"No, I suppose not." Asami took a step back. "Goodbye, Korra."

"Goodbye, Asami."

She watched Korra steer Naga in the direction of the castle and ride off. Finally, she turned and went back down the alley, making sure to keep an eye out for her father before returning to her worktable by the forge. She pulled the ruined glider out of the sack and spread it out before her. In reality, the damage was not all that bad. The frame had salvageable parts, but the fabric was completely ruined. Asami began taking apart the pieces, allowing herself to get lost in the work. In the back of her mind, however, she entertained thoughts of spending the tourney with Korra. A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she imagined what favor she might give Korra for the joust.

"Asami, what is that?"

She paused in her work and glanced over her shoulder. Her father walked out of the workshop. "Just a project," she said. Her father wiped his hands on his apron and walked over.

"What is it?" he asked. "It doesn't look like anything we sell in the shop."

Asami continued to work. "It's the glider, the one I showed you the designs for."

"Asami."

She ignored the warning tone in his voice and continued working. "Was there something you needed me for?" she asked.

"The Court Wizard has sent his apprentice to pick up their order. Go assist her."

Asami put down her tools. "Jinora's here?" she asked.

Her father nodded. "I thought you might want to visit."

She left her invention and went inside the workshop. She saw Jinora standing by the main counter, staff in hand with her robes pulled tight around her. "I wasn't expecting you today," she said.

Jinora turned and smiled. "Hello, Asami," she said. She walked over and they embraced. "How are you?"

Asami offered the younger woman a chair by the counter. "I've been better." She ran a hand through her hair.

"So you saw Korra today?"

Asami blushed. "Am I really so transparent?"

Jinora chuckled. "I think she is probably the only person in the world who can fluster you. Your face turns bright red at the mention of her."

With a groan, Asami leaned against the counter. "It was my fault. She wanted me to fix her armor so I asked her to help with a project, and..." She sighed. "To summarize, I should probably try to keep from riding Naga with her if I want to keep any measure of self control." Asami said.

Jinora laughed, then immediately stopped when Asami frowned at her. "I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you. I just don't understand how she cannot _know_. I mean, honestly."

"It gets worse. She asked me to go to the tournament with her."

Jinora leaned forward in her chair. "Wait, as in romantically? Or just as friends?"

"Just as friends." Asami paused. "At least I assume so." She pushed off the counter and walked around to the back of the shop. "This is Korra, after all. I could walk into her room naked and she would ask me if I'm cold, and offer me a cloak." As Jinora laughed, she grabbed a package stored behind the counter. "Here is Tenzin's order." She handed the wrapped cylinder to Jinora. "This should be safe to shoot fireworks out of."

"Excellent," Jinora said, picking up the package. "I'll return to him now, if you're doing all right."

Asami shrugged and crossed her arms. "I'll manage."

Jinora gave her a sad smile. "The tournament will be a good change of pace. You'll see." She walked toward the exit. "I have a feeling about it."

"Wizard's intuition?" Asami asked.

Jinora laughed. "We can call it that. Goodbye, Asami."

And then the workshop was empty, and Asami was alone with her thoughts once more. She sighed and picked up the nearest tool, hoping a project would come to mind. Korra dominated her thoughts, however. All she could think about was the tourney, the stupid promised favor. _The favor_. Asami glanced out into the courtyard to see her father gone. The sun was setting, meaning he had probably left for dinner. Asami walked outside, trying to think of something suitable to make for Korra.

The thought was almost absurd. It seemed that everything she made had something to do with Korra, one way or the other. Korra had dominated her mind for so long, Asami wasn't certain what it would be like otherwise. _It needs to be something small, something she can place on her lance._ She stroked her chin thoughtfully. She paced the length of her workspace as her mind cycled through various different designs. Her eyes scanned her various tools on her workbench and lingered on the now ruined material of the glider. She picked up a small piece of the fabric and rubbed it between her fingers.

"This should do nicely."

* * *

**A/N: **Thank you everyone for the supportive words and encouragement. Thanks everyone who showed up to the stream! To iterate, we stream via Twitch on the channel Luraline every Friday starting at 5 pm pacific. We play video games and chat and hilarity usually ensues.

If you haven't seen Ozkit's drawings for this, go check them out on Tumblr (just search 'ozkit'). They are beautiful, and the talented illustrator will be drawing a cover for this fic in addition to some other sketches to accompany the chapters, so show your support! Btw, the chapter 1 sketch is totally Korra and Asami riding Naga together, so go find it now! It's gorgeous!

We will attempt to update every Sunday, but no promises.


	3. Chapter 3

Tonraq waited at the stables upon Korra's return. "Good evening, Korra," he said, nodding at her as she led Naga into the stable.

"Hello, father," Korra said, walking directly to Naga's stable rather than stop. Her father followed, however. He watched as she removed the sack of armor from Naga. She lowered it to the ground as carefully as possible, but the parts still clanked together. She winced and her father chuckled.

"You know, I sometimes wonder if you purposefully ruin your equipment." He raised his brow as Korra blushed and continued to unload Naga's saddle.

"Why would I do that?" she asked, fully expecting a lecture.

"Oh, I don't know. Looking for a possible excuse to get out of the castle?"

Korra avoided looking at her father as she put away the equipment. "I'm sorry about the cabbage farmers," she said.

"That's not what I-" Korra looked at him and Tonraq sighed. He walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Korra, you obviously could have handled the cabbage farmers better, but I was not trying to provoke you over it."

Korra furrowed her brow. "Then what were you trying to do?"

Tonraq waved a hand at her. "Worry about that later," he said, then picked up Naga's blanket and slung it over the low-hanging stable wall. "For now, I want you to finish up here and get over to your training with General Bumi. He will discuss with you alternative solutions to the route you took with the cabbage farmers."

Korra nodded and finished putting up Naga's equipment. She led the horse out toward the grazing field. "I will, father."

Before she could escape, Tonraq captured her in a tight hug. "You didn't think you could escape without this, did you?" he asked when Korra squirmed in his grasp. "Now promise you'll just tell me when you want to visit the blacksmith's daughter rather than sneak off."

Korra broke free of his grip. "No, my armor was honestly broken!" she said. Her father chuckled and shook his head.

"So why were the two of you seen riding out of town?"

"I was helping her with a task!"

Tonraq laughed. "Of course. Go on, now. You shouldn't keep Bumi waiting."

Korra led Naga out onto the field where they kept the horses. She patted her white mane one more time before turning and heading back into the stables. "I'll see you later, girl," she called. As she made her way to the barracks, Korra tried not to think about her father's teasing. It made her feel incredibly self-conscious whenever he implied she shirked her duties to spend time with friends. His favorite subject to tease her on was when she slipped off to help Asami with something. Korra scowled. "Just because she's not nobility..." she muttered.

Bumi waited for her at the sparring ring. He stood in training armor, hands on his hips. "Well, well. Took you long enough."

"My apologies, General." Korra crossed the sparring ring to the supply chest and began pulling on the thick leather pads for their sparring match. She fetched two wooden broadswords and returned to Bumi.

"Thank you," he said, taking the practice weapon from her. "This lesson will have to be brief. I want you to be able to pick out some lances for the approaching tourney." Bumi raised his weapon and Korra readied her stance. "And speaking of the tourney, have you found someone to attend with?"

Korra smiled and made the first move. Her sword met with Bumi's and the grapple for power began. She put all her strength behind her blow, bending and arcing against Bumi as he tried to maneuver around her guard. Eventually, he disengaged, stepping away from her and panting. "I'm going with Asami, actually," she said.

Bumi adopted the same annoying grin as her father. "Really?" he asked, pacing the edge of the sparring ring. "It's about time." He lunged at her and Korra blocked. As soon as she pushed back, he stepped aside and she stumbled forward. She yelped when Bumi delivered a sharp rap with the flat end of his sword to her leg. "Don't put your whole body behind the strike. You'll fall over every time."

Korra nodded. "What do you mean, about time?" she asked, recalling the teasing comment.

The smile receded from Bumi's face. "Oh, well..." He charged at her again, but Korra dodged the attack. "I just meant it's about time you found someone to go with." He turned and struck out at her again. When they grappled that time, Korra kept her weight centered and managed to score a touch on Bumi's arm. "Excellent!" he said as they disengaged. "Now if only you fought like that all the time."

"What's wrong with the way I fight?" Korra asked, taking the opportunity to strike.

Bumi brushed aside the attack. "Not much. It gets the job done. You overpower your opponents by sheer surprise rather than skill. But for someone who has dueled you regularly..." He let the thought trail off as Korra attacked again. Even though they engaged in a grapple, Bumi managed to escape fairly quickly. "You're too predictable," he said. "You rely on force. You don't look for other angles." He attacked with a sweeping blow that caused Korra to duck. She dodged the blow and threw her sword up for what would have been a killing strike. "Yes! See what happens when you consider another alternative?"

Bumi disengaged and struck again. Korra caught the blow with her sword and they pushed against one another. "You should have yielded," Korra said. She pushed hard against Bumi's sword, her muscles screaming at her. She continued anyways, determined to get through his guard.

Bumi flashed her another annoying smile and stepped back, allowing her to fall forward. Korra dropped the sword with a clatter and almost fell over, her arms wind-milling as she caught herself. Bumi laughed as he stepped back and lowered his sword. "Korra, you need to find better balance." He tossed his sword aside and placed his hands on his hips. "You only ever see one tactical route, and that's simply not the case. There is an endless list of possibilities in every scenario, and overpowering your enemy is hardly ever the best route."

"I know," Korra said with a sigh. "I just don't think very much in battle. I act." She shrugged and ran a hand through her hair. "That's my problem, isn't it? I don't ever think."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Bumi took a step toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder. He smiled in a gentle way, the points of his beard lifting. "You're just a little...oblivious." With a sigh, Bumi removed his hand and nodded toward the training yard for jousting. "Now, show me some lances you'd prefer for the tourney. I'd hate for you make a fool of yourself in front of Asami Sato."

* * *

Korra arrived in the castle library just in time for the start of lessons. She toted her books over to a free desk and let them drop noisily. Tenzin glanced over at her before returning to a tome he read over. "Welcome," he said. Tenzin was naturally reticent, Korra had learned. He spent more time sitting quietly, thinking, and meditating as he put it. The dark lines tattooed across his cheeks and along his forehead crinkled as his concentration deepened. Finally, the creases smoothed and he looked up, shutting the tome. "Where is your squire?"

Korra glanced around the room. Kai was nowhere to be seen. "Uh, he should be coming."

Even as she spoke, she heard footsteps pounding in the corridor. Kai appeared in the doorway behind her, panting and clutching his books. "I'm sorry Master Tenzin. I just...I..."

Tenzin stood up, straightening his robes and grabbing his staff from its resting place. "I told you to attend Korra today, did I not?"

Korra met Kai's gaze. He raised his eyebrows, silently asking for her to cover. Truthfully, Korra had not seen Kai all day. "I sent him away, Tenzin," she said, placing her hand on Kai's shoulder. "I had business to attend to with Asami."

"You did?" asked Tenzin. He arched a brow, studying her in a similar manner Bumi had when she mentioned Asami. Korra fought the urge to groan. The shock that people showed at the mention of her spending time with someone outside of the castle was bothersome. "Well, that's good. And have you considered who you are taking to the tourney, then?"

"Asami, if everyone is all right with that."

"Of course everyone is," said Tenzin. "I think it's a fine idea, actually. And I don't think it comes as a surprise or a bother to anyone."

Korra shrugged and pulled a chair out at her desk. "We're friends. Why would I avoid her? Do they presume I'm too good to be seen with her? That I'll sully myself? I am a Knight-Commander in the King's army. They have to know that I'm not afraid of stoking a forge or rolling around in a field. Actually, I prefer it to the delicate way nobles handle themselves."

Kai snickered as he slid into a chair next to her. "And do you help Asami stoke her forge?" he asked.

"Kai!"

"On occasion, when no one else is around," Korra answered. Kai nearly fell out of the chair laughing and Tenzin glared at the two of them. "I...did I say something?" Korra looked to Kai, who held himself as he wheezed with laughter, and then to Tenzin, his face had turned scarlet.

"Just – just open your books and practice your letters. Immediately!" Tenzin slammed his staff against the ground with a loud crack and they both flipped open their journals to a blank page. Korra grabbed a quill and prepped the inkbottle. Soon, she found herself consumed in the task of lettering each word with deep concentration. She glanced over at Kai's writing to check her own and frowned at the smooth, perfect words he had already scratched out. She read along the line, frowning when she did not recognize the script they were supposed to be copying. "What are you..." she asked.

Kai pulled his book away. "No cheating," he muttered.

Tenzin cleared his throat. "Cease your chattering. The art of practiced letters does not come easily."

Kai flashed her a grin. "Yes, Knight-Commander. This is hard work, you know."

Korra scowled and went back to copying her letters. She did not get far until she heard the door to the library creak open. Korra glanced up again to see Jinora walk into the room. She smiled at the young apprentice and Jinora smiled back. "Hello, Knight-Commander," she said.

Something clattered on the table next to her and Korra glanced over to see that Kai had dropped his quill. "Hey Jinora," he said, a bashful grin catching his lips.

Korra looked back at Jinora and saw her blush and smile. _Could they be more obvious?_

"Jinora, back from the smith already?" Tenzin asked.

"Yes father," she said, drawing her robe around herself. "Asami made an excellent guide for the fireworks."

Korra smiled at the mention of fireworks. "I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of show you are going to put on."

"You're always amazing," Kai said.

"Thank you..." Jinora blushed.

"Master Tenzin, do you think Jinora could help me with my letters for a little bit? I don't seem to have gotten it quite right."

"What do you mean you haven't –" Korra glanced down at Kai's journal only to find that he had somehow managed to switch it with hers.

"Really Kai, you should be showing much more improvement," Tenzin said. "Jinona do you have the time to help Kai? I know you still have a lot of preparation to do."

"Preparation for what?" Korra asked.

"I'll be a fully recognized sorceress soon. King Tonraq has given permission for me to undergo the ritual as soon as my training is complete."

"What?" Kai's eyes widened. "How soon?"

Jinora shifted uneasily. "Most likely after the tournament. His Majesty is too busy with the Earth Kingdom to think about my ceremony."

"They won't make you leave, will they?" Kai asked.

"We haven't decided where her assignment will be. Magic is a rare gift, and a valuable bargaining tool for His Majesty," Tenzin said.

Though Tenzin seemed unobservant, Korra noticed the distress between Jinora and Kai. She moved her books aside and allowed the two to work together, speaking quietly as Jinora pretended to help him with his letters. "Like this?" he asked, completely mutilating the letter 'a'.

Jinora wrapped her hand around his and guided the quill. "Almost," she said. "Try this way."

Korra looked back to her own work, or rather, Kai's effortless work. Her own interest in romance had stalled some time during the civil war. The fighting had been too much, and Mako, while being an exemplary knight, had not been the support she needed in the midst of their world tearing apart. To be fair, she was not the support Mako needed, either. Korra sighed and put her quill aside. She closed her eyes and tried to push aside the memories of the war. Sometimes she wondered if something inside her had broken loose, if somehow, between cleaving enemies in two and severing her uncle's head, she had fallen out of balance.

"Excellent work, Korra," said Tenzin.

She shook her head to clear the thoughts and glanced up at Tenzin. He smiled down at her. "Thank you," she said. Next to her, Kai and Jinora happily traced letters together. She smiled at them, grateful to at least have given them a moment of peace.

"Seeing as you've finally seemed to grasp the art of calligraphy, it will be no bother for you to copy a book for the queen's arrival. That would make your father very pleased, and I'm sure the gesture would be appreciated."

"But –" She shot a glance over at Kai, who shrugged and gave her a sheepish grin. Korra let out a frustrated groan and slammed her head into the desk. She had a long night of work ahead of her.

* * *

**A/N:** For your reading enjoyment. Look out on Tumblr for Ozkit's drawings (hint: they're awesome!) and be sure to check back with us next Sunday for a new chapter!

As a reminder, Sy and I will stream on the Twitch channel Luraline this Friday starting at 5 pm pacific time. We hope to see you all there. Also, Sy posted a pretty awesome Carmilla remix video on her tumblr and twitter account. It takes video clips and makes them into a music soundtrack. Pretty cool, huh? Anyways, what do you all think of Korra? Is she too oblivious? Just right? Let us know!


	4. Chapter 4

Asami took another deep breath and stopped at Korra's door. _You can do this_, she thought. _Korra invited you to the tourney. There is no reason you cannot ask her to attend the Earth Queen's reception with you._ _Friends often go together to events. Right?_ Before she could change her mind she knocked. The seconds ticked by without a response.

"Korra? Are you there?" Tentatively Asami pushed the door open. The room was empty. Asami frowned. _Where could she be?_ It was late afternoon; she knew all of Korra's lessons were done for the day. She walked back through the castle as she tried to determine where Korra could have gone. When she thought about it, there was really only one option. Asami smiled and walked out to the castle grounds. Some of the people recognized her and she waved to them, but didn't stop to chat. She needed to do this before she lost her nerve.

She walked to the barn and paused only to pet Naga, before she climbed up in the hayloft. In the far corner Korra was hunched over a book, her tongue stuck out in concentration as she carefully moved her quill. For a moment Asami hesitated. _She is too adorable for her own good._

"There you are," Asami said softly. Clearly startled, Korra jolted upright. She calmed when she spotted Asami.

Korra pressed a hand to her heart. "You scared me."

"I didn't mean to." She sat down next to her. "What are you doing up here anyway?"

Korra made a face. "It's all Kai's fault!" She sighed and related the story of her lessons. Asami listened quietly. She loved moments like this, when the two of them could be alone and simply be themselves, unrestrained by court protocol or 'propriety.' _Though Korra has never held much of a regard for propriety._

"...and so now I have to copy the entire book before tomorrow!" Korra rubbed her brow. "It's going to be awful, and I'll disappoint my father, _again._"

"I'm sure your calligraphy isn't _that_ terrible."

Korra snorted. "Here, see for yourself." She passed the book over to Asami. She opened it and bit her lip to stifle the laugh that threatened.

"It's not..." Asami's words died out when Korra shot her a glare. "Fine, it _is_ terrible. Why didn't you just tell Tenzin what happened?"

Korra shook her head. "I don't want to do that to Kai. Tenzin already dislikes him, and Kai and Jinora get so few chances to be around each other already. I mean, Kai cannot even ask Jinora to the ball tomorrow without affronting someone's sense of dignity."

_The ball._ Asami cleared her throat. "Actually, that's why I was looking for you." _Don't make this seem odd Asami, just be casual about it. _"I wanted to ask you something."

Korra took back her book and studied her writing. "What is it?"

Asami sighed. She wanted to reach out and shut the book. For once, just once, she wished she held all of Korra's attention. "I thought that...well, I'm not going with anyone to the ball tomorrow, and if you also did not have anyone to go with...that is, I thought we could go together...to um, keep the Earth Kingdom diplomats away."

Korra cocked her head to the side and seemed to consider the question. "I think that would be great."

Asami's heart beat faster. "Really?"

Korra laughed. "Of course. I'm sure you're a much better dancer than the Earth Kingdom prince, and better to look at," she added in a soft tone. Asami could have sworn she saw color rise in Korra's cheeks, but she could have easily imagined it. Still, her mind clung to Korra's words.

_Dancing? Dancing with Korra? Ancestors help me._ "I – I think I'd like that very much," Asami said.

Once again, Korra laughed. She put aside the book this time and glanced up at Asami. "Well, you are the one who asked, so I'd hope that you would."

Asami felt her face grow hot. "Oh, of course. Silly me." She relaxed against the wall of the hayloft. "So, would you like me to meet you at the castle, or..."

"I could come get you," Korra said. She fussed with her book rather than meet Asami's gaze. "It would be nice to escape the castle for a few moments. It's...odd to be surrounded by the other nobility." Asami did not reply. She waited, recognizing that Korra had more to say. "They greet me as _slayer_, as if that is my title."

Asami nodded. "But you don't want it to be," she said.

"Who wants to be known as a butcher?" Their gazes met. Korra's brow had knit together, furrowed with worry.

"But you're not a butcher." Asami reached out and touched her arm. "You were a soldier. You fought for your life."

"Sometimes I wake up at night and I can still feel the blood. I still hear the battle." Korra did not pull away from her touch. Asami let her grip linger.

"The battle has passed. You're here, Korra. You're in the hayloft with me." Sometimes, she felt selfish for hoping Korra would return her feelings. She acted as though nothing was wrong, but Asami saw the struggle beneath the surface. Drawing more of an emotional demand from Korra would only make that struggle harder, and yet she could not stay away. The need panged in her chest, clawing and keening like some beast, and she weakly obeyed it.

Korra smiled at her and she realized she still held the knight's arm. She let go. "I don't find myself lost in nightmares when in good company."

Asami returned the smile. "Then I am happy to be of service," she said. With a sigh, she stood and brushed the hay from her clothes. "I should return to the forge before father notices I'm gone."

"I'll pick you up from your home tomorrow?" Korra asked.

Asami nodded. "I look forward to that dance, Knight-Commander."

Korra offered her a lopsided grin. "As do I, my lady."

* * *

Korra resisted the urge to pull at the collar of her doublet. Her father glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

"You look fine," he said.

"Thank you for not making me wear a dress."

Tonraq smirked. "I know better than to make you wear something you're more likely to trip in. Besides." He cast her a sideways glance. "I'm guessing you want to look your best for a certain someone."

Korra groaned and straightened her collar. "Yes. It's easier to look professional for the Earth Queen this way."

Her father let out a sigh. "Of course, the Earth Queen."

Korra almost asked him if something was wrong, but Senna interjected. "Korra, do you have the histories copied for her?"

She turned and grabbed the book. "Not well, but yes."

Tonraq took it from her and flipped through the pages. "I don't understand. Tenzin said your calligraphy was flawless." He closed the book and handed it back to her. "Has something been distracting you?" he asked with a grin.

Senna elbowed her husband. "Oh, leave her be." She turned to her daughter with a smile. "You did a fine job, my dear. I'm sure the Earth Queen will accept the gift graciously."

"You think so?" Korra asked, catching her reflection in the mirror. She smoothed a hand through her hair.

"I know so," said Senna. She walked over to Korra and adjusted her clothes for her. "Now grab the book. The Earth Queen should not be kept waiting." The three of them walked to the reception chamber together. On the way, Kai bumped into them. Korra grabbed him by the arm.

"My squire," she said, shooting him a glare. "Where were you off to?"

Kai smiled and tried to worm out of Korra's grip. "I was going to meet you for practice – oh, is the Queen's reception now?" he corrected when Korra's grip tightened. "I suppose I shall accompany you, Knight-Commander."

"Good," Korra growled. "Someone will need to offer to re-copy the histories for the Earth Queen when she declares mine illegible."

"Oh, but of course." Kai fell in line with them, straightening his uniform as they approached the door. As they walked into the room, a herald announced their arrival. Korra spotted the Earth Queen almost immediately. The woman stood between a flank of guards, her billowing gown decorated with countless gems and glittering metals. Korra swallowed. Somehow, she doubted the Earth Queen would be impressed with a poorly copied edition of her kingdom's histories.

"Your Majesty," said Tonraq, leading the way up to her. They stopped short and bowed, Korra having to nudge Kai when he did not immediately follow their lead. "You honor us with a visit." They all straightened.

"I do indeed," answered the Earth Queen.

While the monarchs exchanged pleasantries, Korra remained silent. Talking, especially with nobility, had never been her strong suit.

"And this is my daughter Korra." Tonraq gestured behind him.

Korra bowed again. "Your Majesty."

"Your daughter's choice of attire is most...unusual."

"She is Knight-Commander of the finest troops in the land," Tonraq said.

"Yes, well, a princess should be dressed in finery. It is so unseemly to wield a sword. I trust it is not your only talent?"

Korra fought to keep her face neutral when she heard the word _princess_. "I have prepared a copy of our kingdom's history for you as a gift, Your Majesty. I hope it is to your liking." Korra handed the book over to the Earth Queen. She sneered and flipped open the cover.

"Oh my, this is...why this is..."

Korra braced herself for the thinly veiled insult. "I still have a long way to go, but I did try my best."

"This is _perfect._ Perhaps I should make my nephew study harder with the sword if it would improve his calligraphy to attain this level of mastery."

Korra blinked, confused. "You are most kind."

Tonraq glanced from the Queen to Korra. The Queen held open one of the pages to show Tonraq. "Your daughter gilded it as well?"

Korra caught sight of the perfectly inscribed text and knew immediately it was not her work. She was at a loss for words. "I–" Kai lightly kicked her shin and gave her a meaningful look. "I, um, thought you would appreciate it," Korra managed.

"I certainly do," she said, still staring at the book. "This will make for marvelous reading. Such legible craftsmanship."

Quickly, Korra mouthed, "Thank you," to Kai, who only grinned and offered a shrug.

"My daughter," Tonraq said, turning to Korra. "Seeing that you have done your duty, why not finish preparations for tonight's event? The Earth Queen has business to tend to before the festivities may begin."

It was her father's way of excusing her from what she hated most: negotiations. She nodded, trying not to look too eager. "Thank you, father. My squire and I still have much to do in preparation." Together, Korra and Kai made their exit. Only once they were back in the hallway did Korra turn to Kai and hug him tightly. "You are the best squire!" she said.

Kai chuckled, but still pried himself from her grip. "Surely you did not think I'd let you suffer the Earth Queen's wrath alone?" He pulled Korra's original copy from his coat. "At first I was just going to switch it and make a clean getaway, but you had to drag me along, didn't you?" He smirked as he turned the book over. "Do you think it would make good kindling?" he asked.

Korra nodded. "Do what you like with it. I just can't believe you wrote out the whole histories for me."

A shy grin crossed Kai's face. "What you did for Jinora and I was nice," he said. "I wanted to return the favor." They stood there in the hallway for a few moments, awkwardly staring past one another. "Well, I suppose you have something better to do than stand here." Kai stepped aside. "Knight-Commander." He saluted.

With a start, Korra realized she needed to still fetch the carriage. "Squire." She saluted back before taking a few steps down the hall. She spared one last glance back at Kai before running from the hall and out into the courtyard. She breathed a little easier once outside in the cool evening air. She always hated pomp and formality. But now her heart raced. She glanced around for the stables, forgetting their location for a moment. "Carriage," she muttered. "You need to get a carriage."

Fortunately, years of traversing the castle grounds meant that her feet remembered where she was going, even if she did not. She greeted the stable hand with a wave and looked over the small carriage. It was perfect. It was just big enough for two people, and ornate enough to be nice without seeming extravagant. The stable hand had just finished harnessing Naga to the carriage. Korra stroked her horse's side and smiled. The coachman tipped his hat to Korra and she climbed into the back. The ride to the Asami's house wasn't a long one, but Korra felt strangely nervous.

"It's just Asami, get ahold of yourself," she muttered as the carriage made its way along the main path. At last they arrived at Asami's home. Korra practically bounded up the stairs. She knocked on the door and waited. A moment later, a servant answered.

"Miss Sato will be out, momentarily," he informed her.

Korra nodded, her pulse pounding as she stepped inside the home. _It's just Asami_, she repeated to herself. Still, her heartbeat rushed as if in the middle of battle. She glanced around for a mirror, for some reflective surface. She wanted to make sure her hair looked all right. Wanted to make sure her uniform was straight. She did not want Asami to think she considered these balls a trifle, not when Asami seemed so excited to go with her. The young blacksmith rarely showed excitement over something beyond her own inventions. Korra wanted to capture that flicker of joy she had seen in the hayloft yesterday, the smile that had graced Asami's lips at the mention of dancing.

"Korra?"

She glanced up at the sound of her name. Asami stood at the entrance to the foyer, a flowing red dress hanging off her shoulders and hugging her body, the fabric pooling over her waist and trailing to the floor. Korra's heartbeat caught in her throat at the sight. Her gaze lingered on the pale, smooth skin of Asami's shoulders, then followed the curve of her neck up to a flushed face. Asami met her gaze, green eyes wide.

Korra took a hesitant step forward. "Good evening, my lady," she said as she bowed and extended her hand.

Asami smiled and walked to her, slipping a silk-gloved hand into Korra's grip. "Good evening," she replied with a small curtsey.

Korra nodded toward the doorway. "Your carriage awaits," she said.

Asami's eyes lit up. "We're taking a carriage?" she asked.

A laugh escaped Korra's lips as they walked outside. "Of course. Did you think I'd make us walk? Or ride Naga?"

Asami chuckled as they approached the carriage. "The thought did occur to me."

Korra stepped ahead and opened the carriage door, allowing Asami to step in first. She caught the scent of fresh flowers as Asami walked by. She offered her hand again, allowing Asami to press down on her arm as she stepped up into the carriage. Korra's pulse quickened. "I possess manners." She followed Asami into the carriage. Once the door was shut, the coachman took off.

"Thank you for this," Asami said softly.

"Don't thank me yet, you haven't danced with me. I hope your toes can manage."

Asami laughed. "I think my toes will be just fine." Asami's gaze trailed over her. "I have to say, I almost didn't recognize you in uniform."

"You look..." She faltered, searching for the right word. "Lovely."

Asami blushed again. "You're too kind."

"No," Korra said. She looked away, staring at nothing. "I don't think I notice it enough, honestly."

"Korra." She felt Asami's hand on her arm. "Why would you think that?"

She smiled weakly. "The whole castle appears to think I'm going to drive you off, or that I consider myself too noble for your company." Korra sighed and folded her hands, unsure of what else to do with them.

"That's ridiculous." Asami's grip tightened. "Korra, I know you don't think that way."

"So what do I do to make the whole castle think otherwise? The nobles? The attendants? Even my squire." It was the only reason Korra could find for their insistent probing over every single thing she did with Asami.

"Nobody could think that of you."

"So what is it, then?" Korra asked, glancing at Asami. She felt Asami's hand leave her arm.

"Oh, I..." Her blush had returned, crawling higher. "It's nothing, Korra. I'm sure it's nothing."

Korra almost asked Asami for more on the subject, but the carriage came to a lurching halt suddenly. She steadied herself and opened the door. Peeking outside, she recognized the castle entrance. "It appears we are here," she said, turning back to Asami with a smile. She held out her hand and helped Asami down from the carriage. Asami threaded her hand through Korra's arm and they walked up the castle entrance together.

* * *

**A/N: **I know we said the ball would be this chapter, but you'll have to wait until next week to see them at the ball, but there was a ton of cuteness here, yes? Enjoy, everyone.

As a reminder, Sy and I stream on twitch via the channel Luraline every Friday at 5 pm pacific time. Join us to see us play video games like Tomb Raider, Legend of Korra, and Dragon age. Last time, I killed two dragons!


	5. Chapter 5

Asami was certain she was dreaming. The castle was almost unrecognizable. Tonraq and Senna had done all in their power to turn the dark, lackluster fortress into a glittering palace. Tapestries hung from the walls. Fine pottery decorated every shelf along with elegant silverwork. The castle had not looked this grand ever, not even before the war. She tried to maintain her composure, but she knew she was grinning like an idiot. Korra led her to the great hall, where they were announced as having arrived together. Everyone turned at the mention of Korra's name and there were more than a few sly smiles when they saw Asami on her arm. Asami felt her face start to heat again. _Ancestors help me._

Korra led them down the stairs and to the ballroom floor. "Wow, this is fantastic," Asami said, taking in the sight of the dancing nobles.

Korra gave her a trademark crooked grin. "It's almost a little overwhelming."

"That's right, you've never been to a ball before." Asami chuckled as she remembered the occasion. "You ran off to play _soldiers_ with Mako and Bolin."

Korra shrugged. "I was young."

"You were fourteen." Asami nudged her.

Korra made a face. "They were going to make me wear a dress."

"What? You don't like dresses?" Asami asked. She was suddenly aware of Korra's gaze traveling down her body.

Korra cleared her throat and Asami could see the color rise in her cheeks. "I don't like to _wear_ dresses," she corrected. "They certainly seem to suit others just fine."

Asami's breath caught. She fought the feeling of heat rising in her face once more. "I, for one, think they're overrated." She let her own gaze linger on Korra's outfit. "I don't think I mentioned yet how striking you look tonight."

"I wanted tonight to be special for you," Korra said.

"For me?"

"I rarely see you this excited about something." Korra smiled. "It's so nice to see you smile this freely."

Asami's heart jumped into her throat. "I…don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, I just want you to enjoy yourself." Korra squeeze Asami's hand that rested on her arm. Asami struggled to find a reply. It was rare that someone rendered her speechless. _She just looks too damn good in that uniform._

"Did you want me to get you something to eat? Or drink?" Korra asked.

"I think I'd like a drink, actually."

Korra gave her a small bow and a wink. "I'll be right back."

Asami watched her go and tried to regain any shred of her composure that might be left. She sat down on one of the chairs near the back of the ballroom.

"Lovely ball isn't it?" Asami turned and smiled when General Bumi bowed to her.

"It's wonderful," Asami said.

He stroked his beard thoughtfully as he glanced over at the retreating figure. "You know, I don't think Korra knows this is a date."

Asami turned crimson. "I…that is…"

Bumi laughed. "Calm down, I'm not going to say anything." He placed a hand on her shoulder. He leaned down and said, "But we're all rooting for you."

"Thank you?" Asami wasn't sure how to handle the knowledge that apparently the _entire_ _castle_ was trying to set her up with Korra.

"I think you might want to rescue her though." He nodded toward the other side of the room where one of the young men from the Earth Kingdom was talking to Korra. Asami bit her lip at the look of barely restrained anger on Korra's face.

"I should probably intervene before she punches the poor boy." She smiled at Bumi. "If you'll excuse me."

He bowed. "Of course, Miss Sato." Asami quickly made her way through the crowd and grabbed Korra's elbow.

"_There _you are. I wondered what was keeping you." She leaned into Korra and turned her attention to the young man in front of them. "I don't think we've been introduced."

The young man turned his attention to her. He was easily the most meticulously dressed man in the room, his clothes cleanly pressed and perfectly matched. "I am Prince Wu of the Earth Kingdom." He bowed and gave Asami what she assumed was supposed to be a charming smile.

"Prince Wu, this is Asami Sato," Korra said. Her tone was stiff and Asami knew Korra wanted to be _anywhere_ but there.

"Asami is a lovely name." Wu raised a suggestive brow at her. Asami felt Korra's muscles flex as she tensed.

"Why, thank you." Asami turned to Korra, pointedly ignoring his advances as she placed a hand on Korra's chest. "My darling, you promised me a dance."

Korra blinked and turned to Asami. "Oh, of course! If you'll excuse us, Your Highness."

Wu frowned as he glanced between the two of them. "Of course, I didn't realize…my apologies." He bowed as if excusing himself and Korra took them to the center of the ballroom floor. Asami felt Korra relax as she led them across the room in a waltz, but her face was still flush with anger.

"I'm sorry I didn't get you something to drink," Korra said.

Asami shook her head. "It's fine, I was glad to rescue you."

Korra hesitated before speaking again. "So…did I miss the part where we are courting, or…"

Asami blushed again. She hated how easily Korra flustered her sometimes. "I thought it would be the best way get rid of him." She met Korra's amused expression. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"It didn't make me uncomfortable," Korra said softly.

"No?" Asami suddenly felt breathless. _What does she mean by that?_

"There are worse rumors to be spread." Korra guided her through a spin. "They could be talking about me courting _him_." She nodded over Asami's shoulder to where Wu likely was. But Asami refused to take her eyes off of Korra.

"I'm glad I didn't misread the situation," Asami admitted. "I mean, your break-up with Mako happened a while ago. It's only natural if you wanted to find…someone new."

"Not _him._" Korra made a face. "He's so…so…"

"Insincere?" Asami offered.

Korra chuckled. "That is a much kinder word than what I had in mind." She effortlessly moved them through another turn. "Though, you aren't wrong."

"About?"

"I probably _should_ try to get back into courting and romance and all that…" Korra's smile fell. "But…" She glanced at Asami. "I'm sorry." She shook her head. "This is supposed to be a happy night, you don't want to hear about my woes."

Asami bit her lip, swallowing down an urge to confess her feelings right then. "Korra…you know you can talk to me about this."

"I know, but not right now." Korra took a breath and her smile returned. "I want nothing but happy memories for you tonight."

"Sometimes you fit the role of 'knight in shining armor' too well," she admitted.

"Only because of you," Korra murmured.

Asami nearly tripped. "What?"

"You keep the armor shining, don't you?" The song came to an end and everyone clapped for the orchestra. Korra and Asami left the dance floor and headed over to the refreshment table. Korra handed Asami a glass and they both quietly sipped their drinks.

"Knight-Commander." They turned to see Kai giving Korra sharp salute.

Korra laughed. "At ease, squire." She glanced around. "Where's Jinora?"

Kai sighed heavily. "She said something about having to help Tenzin set up."

Korra gave him a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry."

Asami leaned forward to talk over the din of the ball. "I wouldn't worry too much Kai, I know Jinora was very excited about the ball tonight. It was all she talked about…well that, and you of course." She grinned at him.

Kai blushed. "Um, thanks…" he smiled and ran a hand through his hair. "You two looked good out there." He nodded to the dance floor. "I didn't know you could dance, Korra."

"I didn't either," Asami said, casting her gaze at Korra. She tried to ignore the pleasant memory of Korra's hand on the small of her back as they crossed the ballroom floor.

Korra shrugged. "My mother made me learn. It actually helped me with swordplay when I was younger. I was more aware of my footing."

"Are you going to dance with Jinora?" Asami asked.

Kai blushed deeper. "Do you think she'd want to?"

Asami gave him a small smile. "I'm sure of it. As a matter of fact…" Asami nodded toward the entrance. Kai turned and watched as Tenzin arrived with his family in tow. Jinora stood in a yellow dress that flowed around her much like her wizard robes, but revealed more of her neckline. She looked lovely, and Kai was speechless.

"Well, go on then," Korra prodded.

"Y-yes, Knight-Commander!" He gave her a hasty salute and made his way through the crowd.

Asami watched him go and chuckled. "They are too cute together."

Korra's smile lessened. "They deserve to be happy."

Asami tugged on Korra's shoulder until she turned to face her. "So do you," she insisted.

Korra looked away. "Sorry, I keep doing it don't I?"

Asami silently chastised herself for not realizing sooner that something was wrong. _Something is hurting you. What happened?_ "Korra, I don't want you to pretend like nothing is wrong. Talk to me, please."

Korra glanced around at the crowded venue. "Asami, I don't…"

Before she could think better of it, Asami grabbed her hand and led her out the back of the ballroom.

* * *

Korra did not pay attention as Asami led them through the palace. When they finally stopped walking, she realized they were on the balcony. She glanced back inside. The glow of torches and candles flickered against the windowpanes, providing a backlight to the moving bodies inside.

"But Asami, the ball, you –"

Asami put her hands on her hips. "Something is bothering you. I'm not leaving here until you talk to me about it."

Korra gave her a small smile. "I'm sorry."

Asami rests a hand on Korra's arm. "Stop apologizing."

"I just…" Korra leaned on the railing that over looked the castle grounds. "I see everyone tonight and they're all so happy. I _want _to be, I _should _be."

"But?"

"It's a feeling I don't seem to be able to hold on to." Korra turned and met Asami's eyes. _She looks so worried_. "Sometimes, for a little bit I can forget about the civil war, the rebellion…my uncle. But it doesn't last."

"Korra, if you ever need anything…" There it was. That flicker of heartbreak. A shadow of pain crossed Asami's face every time Korra mentioned her struggles. She hated doing it to Asami, and so she chose reticence.

"I know…and you do more than you know. When it's just you and me…it's easy. I can push all of that aside." She sighed and then breathed in a lungful of cool air. It helped pull her from her reserve. "But when I'm alone, I still see it all before me. I…I feel my arm swinging. I can feel the blade cutting into metal, breaking bones. Sometimes…sometimes I'll dream the battles over and over." She blinked back tears. If she could resolve to do one thing, it would be to not turn into a sobbing mess in front of Asami.

"Oh Korra." Asami's hand slid further up along her arm. The warm touch seeped through her skin, igniting something inside her. She turned to Asami, and they embraced. She felt Asami's arms pull her close and she allowed herself to rest her head against the crook of Asami's neck. She inhaled the sweet scent she had caught earlier and her pulse jumped in her throat again. The tension eased from her shoulders.

"Why is it so relaxing just to be in your arms?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Asami asked. She loosened her grip and Korra pulled away just enough to meet her gaze.

"I…just now, I felt a little better. It was…" She looked away. Her cheeks burned and her heart thudded. She leaned against the balcony again.

Asami leaned against the railing next to her. "I'm here for you, you know," she said. "Whatever you need."

Korra turned to speak to her again, but a loud boom made them both jump. They glanced out over the balcony, and Korra saw a shower of fireworks glitter in the night sky. She smiled as another boom resonated through the night and the sky lit up again.

"Korra, look!" Asami cried, taking hold of her arm again. Her delighted grin was lit up by another flash of fireworks. Korra stared, transfixed by the expression of joy on Asami's face. "Do you see the blue? That's copper. And that orange?"

Korra knew Asami was talking, but between the fireworks and her own heartbeat, she heard none of it. Her gaze focused on Asami's lips, the way they formed each word, each sound. Something tugged at her heart. She wanted to lean forward, to taste Asami's lips against her own – She froze, suddenly aware of her own closeness to Asami as that one thought blazed in her mind. _I want to kiss her. Ancestors, I want to kiss Asami_.

"Korra?" Asami was searching her gaze. "Are you all right?"

Korra pulled back sharply, almost tripping over her own feet. "Um, fine! I'm fine." She looked around the balcony. "I…I need to get something to drink, though. Would you like anything?" She pointed inside.

Asami raised a brow at her. "I'm fine," she said. "But thank you."

"I – good. I'll be right back." Korra turned and walked back into the ballroom. Her head spun and the clash of music, laughter, and fireworks only made it worse. She made her way to the drinks and picked up a glass of wine, downing it quickly. She took a breath and pressed a hand to her forehead. _I have feelings for her,_ she thought. "I just have to make it through tonight." She looked back at Asami standing on the balcony, beautiful in her deep red dress. "If I can manage that long."

* * *

**A/N: **Another chapter is here. I think this might be the one we were concerned would break the internet. Enjoy it, guys. Sy and I will be streaming this Friday at 5 pm pacific time, as always. Thanks to all of you that showed up and hung out, and I'd like to thank everyone who has taken the time to check out our original fiction, too :D

A special thanks to Ozkit on Tumblr, who is drawing illustrations for this fic, and they are marvelous, so go check them out! Leave a comment. We'll see you next Sunday.


	6. Chapter 6

Korra woke with a gasp on her lips. Her eyes flew open and she looked around the room, reaching out to the empty space in her bed. _Just a dream_, her mind told her. Her heartbeat began to slow down to a regular rhythm as the rest of her body woke up. Every time she closed her eyes, however, visions played across the closed lids, visions of Asami's body pressed against hers, arching into her touch. Korra brought a hand to her lips, her mind conjuring the ghostly memory of her mouth pressed against searing skin.

"Ancestors," she whispered. Her body ached, but there was nothing to be done about it. Sunlight flooded the room, and someone would be along shortly to send her to the tourney. _The tourney I'm attending with Asami._ Korra groaned and lay back down, massaging the tension from her jaw with her hands.

A knock on her door caused her to sigh and clamber out of bed. "Enter," she called.

Kai came in with freshly-cleaned clothes draped over his arms. "Knight-Commander," he said, glancing around the room. "Did you have a good evening?"

Korra rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "You might say that," she said.

Kai placed the tunic and trousers down on a table. "Well, you and Asami seemed to enjoy yourselves enough, so..."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Kai smirked. "Nothing, Knight-Commander. Nothing at all."

"No, it doesn't mean nothing, not with you smiling like that." Korra crossed the room and took up the clothes. Kai stood in the middle of the room, glancing toward the washroom door and at the unmade bed. "What are you looking for?"

"Huh? No one – I mean, nothing, Knight-Commander." Kai flashed his damnable smirk once again. "I did not know if I would see Asami this morning, is all."

"Why would you –" Realization struck her. "Damn you, Kai." Korra stalked off to fetch the rest of her clothes. "How did you know?"

"Know what?"

"How I..." Her face felt hot. She turned her back to Kai, hiding her blush by digging through her wardrobe for a clean tunic. "My affections toward Asami."

Kai laughed. "You don't want me to answer that honestly."

Korra groaned and threw a rolled up pair of socks at him. "Then you can await me at the stables and make yourself useful." She waited for Kai to leave before changing into her clothes. "You can do this, Korra," she muttered, straightening the tunic. Her heart already thudded at the thought of spending another whole day with Asami. She had made a mess of their whole evening at the ball. _What if she thinks I don't enjoy her company?_ The thought was almost too much.

The castle was quiet that morning. Everyone had probably gone down to the tourney already. Korra found Kai waiting for her at the stables. She glared when he laughed at her again, but then noticed that no one else was around, not even Naga. "Where is everyone?"

"Your father took the liberty of having everything brought down to the jousting field. He said he wanted you to have the morning free to socialize." He laughed again and Korra clenched her fists. "Particularly with Asami. He was actually surprised that you weren't already with her this morning."

"I – did you – what did you tell him?"

"I told him that you were resting up for the tournament." Kai shrugged. "Somehow I think he might have taken that the wrong way." Korra closed her eyes and resisted a very explicit curse. Even as Kai laughed, the odd comments her father had made over the past few weeks suddenly made more sense.

She straightened her tunic and turned away. "I'm going down to the tourney. I expect to see you at the joust before my turn comes up."

"Of course!" Kai called after her. Korra tried not to appear too flustered as she retreated. Kai had a knack for getting under people's skin.

Instead of heading directly for the tents Korra decided to make a detour to the blacksmith's. _I should have brought my armor along as an excuse. Or maybe flowers? Does Asami like flowers?_ Her insides twisted with anxiety. Just the thought of being around Asami called up visions of her dream. Asami was perceptive. She would know that something bothered Korra. How long did she expect to keep her feelings hidden? _I'll tell her after the tourney. I'll win it in her name._

"What are you thinking so hard about that it makes you frown like that?"

Korra jumped at the sight of Asami standing in front of the smithy entrance. Asami laughed. "Asami!" She could feel a flush crawl across her cheeks. "I didn't see you there."

"That's all right." Asami took a step forward and straightened her skirts. She did not wear anything nearly as formal as last night. The simple blouse hung off her form loosely, yet still Korra's heart sped up. "Shouldn't you be at the tourney? I heard the caravans move through to set up earlier this morning."

"I – well, it's good that you ask." Korra cleared her throat, trying to muster up more courage. "I know I asked if you would go to the tourney with me, but that seems a bit of a ways away, and the fair has always been fun." She cut herself off before she could ramble any more. "I mean, if you're not busy, I thought we might go see the performers and...take in the sights before the joust starts." Asami stared at her for a moment. Korra extended her hand in invitation. "Would you care to, my lady?"

Asami accepted her hand. The feeling of her warm palm pressed against her own made Korra's stomach flutter. "I would love to, Knight-Commander," she said with a smile.

Korra could not help but follow the curve of those lips as they turned upward. She blinked, looking away but still holding Asami's hand. "Well, this way, then," she said. As they walked, she allowed Asami's hand to stay in her own. Or rather, she held onto Asami's hand and desperately hoped she would not pull away. When Asami snaked her hand up to the crook of Korra's arm and pulled her close, she grinned, holding her arm out for Asami to better hold onto her.

"Now you're a proper escort," Asami said, leaning into her.

"It would do no good to have you wandering the tourney alone," teased Korra. She turned and smiled at Asami as they walked.

"Yes, only the ancestors know what sort of trouble I'd get up to without you," Asami replied.

As they approached the tourney, a clamor rose in the air. The sound of shouts and laughter drifted to them accompanied with the scent of slowly roasting foods. Korra inhaled the scent of baking apples and cinnamon and bit back a groan of hunger. She had forgotten to eat that morning in her haste. "So, where shall we go first?"

"Well, I can tell that if we don't get something to eat first, I might have to take care that you don't drool on me."

Korra frowned. "Now that's mean, I haven't had breakfast yet."

Asami chuckled. "Did you oversleep again?"

Korra blushed, remembering the dreams from the previous night. "I didn't want to wake up."

Asami raised a brow at her. "And miss spending the day with me?"

"Oh, no! That's not what I meant, I-"

"Relax." Asami pulled her closer. "I'm having a lovely time with you." The two of them reached the tourney fair grounds and wandered among the stalls before stopping to buy two of the apples roasted in cinnamon that Korra had smelled earlier. Asami unlinked their arms while they ate, much to Korra's dismay, but lingered close as they walked through the throng of people.

Korra bit into her apple. She immediately regretted taking so much. The hot fruit burned on her tongue. She swore, gasping for air as Asami giggled. She glanced over at her. "What?" she asked, swallowing her mouthful.

"Nothing," Asami said. She blew on it for a second and then took a much more reasonable sized bite. "Thank you."

"For the apple?"

"For doing all this." Asami glanced down at her feet. "You didn't have to."

"I know, but I…" Korra struggled to find the right words. "I wanted to."

They continued to explore the fairgrounds. Eventually, they approached a crowd gathered around a stage. A scarred, bald man stood at the center, gesturing to the people as he yelled. His plain tunic and pants wore the dust of the road. Korra observed the way he gestured, his motions practiced. Even from so far away, she could see the signs of wear on his face and hands, the scar tissue healed over so many times.

"Ladies and gentlemen! It is true that there are many here who would claim to show you wonders." He stepped forward. "But my humble troupe and I are here to offer you so much more. What we have here are truly rare and unique talents." He grinned and cartwheeled forward, stopping at the very edge of the stage and leaning forward before bending over backwards and kicking his legs up in the air. Standing on his hands, he looked out at the crowd. He lifted one hand, balancing himself on the flat of one palm. The crowd gasped as he held the position, grinning.

"Should we stay and watch?" Korra asked.

Asami nodded. "All right."

Another man with long, wispy hair and a moustache came onstage with a chair. He placed it behind the acrobat, who somehow managed to bend his body so that his feet ended flat on the chair. He stood atop it easily. The other man handed him another chair. This act continued until he balanced on six chairs total, practically three times his own height in the air.

After the acrobatics, a snake tamer came out on stage. The thin woman carried a python over her shoulders, the great beast practically trailing on the floor of the stage. It looked out on the crowd, tongue flicking in the air. Korra watched in slight fascination and horror as the beast wound its way over the woman's shoulders. She leaned toward the crowd and it lunged, hissing and striking at the air until she pulled back.

The troupe also brought out a fire breather, a tall woman with a third eye tattooed on her forehead. She struck a match and held it to her lips, spitting fire out over the crowd. After watching the troupe carry on for a while, Korra turned to ask Asami if she wanted to leave when the acrobat came on stage again. "For our next demonstration, we will require a volunteer from the audience." He flashed a grin and many people raised their hands and cried out, but he pointed right toward where Korra and Asami stood. "You there, young lady!" he called.

The assistant from earlier was suddenly beside them, placing a hand on Asami's shoulder.

"Yes, that's our volunteer!"

"If the lady is brave enough," he said, gesturing toward the stage.

Asami glanced at Korra, her brow furrowed. Korra only shrugged in return. "Do you want to?" she asked.

Asami shrugged back and allowed the man to lead her to the stage. "What's the harm?" she asked.

"Thank you, madam, for joining us today," said the acrobat. He took Asami's hand and bowed, smiling up at her in a way that made Korra uncomfortable. "Tell me, do you have any fear of knives?" As if to emphasize his point, the other man walked over with a platter laden with throwing stars and knives. He held one up and showed it to the audience.

"I'd have more fear of someone wielding one at me," Asami said. She reached out and picked up a throwing star. "I've forged weapons like this before."

"Ah, you're a craftsman," the acrobat said. He patted her on the shoulder. "Good. Then you know the quality time a person dedicates to learning a skill." He led her to a corner of the stage and positioned her in front of a wooden post. "Your role today, however, requires nothing more than for you to stand perfectly still." He stepped back, smiling. "If you don't, our man might miss." He reached above her and drew a small circle into the wooden post with a piece of chalk. Korra tried to ignore the uneasiness she felt. These were trained professionals. It would not do them any good to hurt their volunteer.

"Don't worry, my dear," said the knife-thrower. He tossed a knife in the air and caught it by the handle. "I don't miss often."

Asami did not reply to their taunts. She simply did as she had been told and stood still. The man tossed a knife. It landed somewhat high, about a head or two above Asami. Korra swallowed back a lump in her throat as he picked up a throwing star and chucked that as well. This time, it missed Asami's head by significantly less.

The rest of the knives were thrown in rapid succession, all thudding into the wood close together. She could see Asami's shoulders relax when the man took a bow to the applauding audience. He gestured at Asami, who stood forward and received even more applause. When she joined Korra, they quietly slipped away from the group.

"That must have been frightening," said Korra as they walked.

Asami nodded. Her hand slipped around Korra's arm once more, pulling her close. "He certainly enjoys his work," she said.

Korra glanced at her, a frown tugging at her lips. "What do you mean?"

"He...would smile right before he threw his knives, like he hoped I would flinch, or move, or something. He was not concerned with making me trust him, but with showing the control that he had."

"At least he didn't hit you," Korra said.

"I know. Still, it was unnerving. One would hope someone with such skill would have the accompanying compassion to go with it."

Korra shrugged once more, hoping her uneasy feeling would leave. "Well, he's only a performer." Asami nodded, but she gazed off in the distance, as if her thoughts were elsewhere. "So, would you like to see how a knight prepares for their joust?" Korra asked.

Finally, Asami turned and smiled at her. "I would love to," she said, allowing Korra to lead her toward the jousting stables. "Besides, I still have my favor to award you, Knight-Commander."

* * *

**A/N:** A big thanks to Ozkit on Tumblr for doing all the amazing artwork for this fic, and for being a helpful proof-reader / sounding board for discussion of ideas. You're a joy to work with!

Join us this Friday at 5 pm pacific time to watch Sy and I play video games. Sometimes Ozkit is there as well to answer questions about the art! It will be a party. Look us up on the twitch channel Luraline and watch for us on Fridays.


	7. Chapter 7

As Korra led her through the fairgrounds and back to the tents lining the jousting fields, Asami replayed the events of the day in her mind. _Something has changed. She isn't normally so flustered around me._ Asami had entertained the notion of what it might be like to be courted by Korra, but had often dismissed the thoughts as whimsical. There was more to Korra's life than Asami, and Asami needed to remember that there was more to her life than Korra. She shook the thoughts from her head. She could at least enjoy this moment with Korra.

When they arrived at the tent, Korra let go of her arm. "Kai?" Korra looked around for her squire. Asami looked as well, but did not see the lad anywhere nearby. It was quiet in there, save for the gentle fluttering of the tent cloth in the morning breeze.

Asami smiled. "I'd wager he ran off with Jinora."

Korra frowned. "I can't put this on myself." She sighed and started to leave the tent.

"Where are you going?" Asami asked.

"I need to find him or I'm never going to get ready in time."

"I can do it." The words were out of her mouth before she realized she was saying them. Korra stopped in her tracks, turning back toward Asami. "I mean, I'm familiar with all the armor already."

"You don't have to. It's Kai's responsibility anyways."

"We can't have you late for your tournament." Asami moved to the armor stand and took the greaves from it. She glanced at the straps, already blushing at the thought of her task.

"Are you certain?" Korra asked.

_No._ "Come here." Asami gestured to the center of the room. Korra stood still and Asami knelt down. She positioned the first greave on Korra's shin and secured the straps around the back. She finished securing the matching greave and went back to the stand to retrieve the cuisse. She took a breath. _Don't think about it; just help her with her armor. _She knelt down again and positioned the left cuisse on Korra's thigh. She tried to keep her hands steady but found it difficult to fasten the leather straps. Asami swore as her fingers slipped again.

"Asami, is everything alright?" Korra's voice sounded strained.

"Sorry," she said. "There...got it." She managed the second one with much more grace, then stood up. "I didn't make it too tight, did I?" Asami asked, her attention on the armor stand. She couldn't meet Korra's eyes.

"It's fine," Korra said softly. Asami grabbed the chestplate and handed it to Korra. Korra held the front piece on her chest as Asami moved behind her. She positioned the back plate secured it to the front by the shoulder strap. She secured the other shoulder strap and Korra lifted her arms. She reached under Korra's arms and fastened the side clasps. The proximity was starting to get to her.

She kept her eyes down, which hardly solved anything with Korra's shorter stance. She could tell Korra was trying hard not to shift around too much. The subtle motions and each creak in the armor gave her away. Asami tried to smile, but ended up swallowing back a lump in her throat instead. "Almost done," she said, pulling the last strap into place. "Would you like the helm now, or at the joust?"

"Not yet," Korra said. She glanced at Asami, her cheeks colored with heat. "The joust isn't due to start right away. Besides I have to give Kai something to do."

Asami smiled. "Don't be too hard on him."

Korra returned the smile. "Oh I'll just make him feel guilty that you're a better squire than him."

"Don't get too used to it." Asami took a breath. _Ancestors know it would kill me._ "But you're missing part of your ensemble."

Korra glanced down with a frown. "Am I?"

Asami reached into her shirt pocket and withdrew the favor, a pendant dangling on silk cloth. The choice to make a necklace was one of practicality. With short hair, Korra had no need for a ribbon, or tie, and it needed to be something she could put around the lance. In the end, she had used the material from the gilder as a ribbon and strung it through a small metal pendant with her craftsmen's mark upon it. She held it out to Korra.

"Your favor, Knight-Commander."

Korra took the necklace and held it in her hands carefully. "A necklace?"

"So that you might wear it after the tournament...if you'd like."

"Oh." For a moment, they lingered in the tent, awkwardly looking past one another. Then Asami asked, "Would you care to take me down to the stands? I'd love to meet the other competitors."

"Yes! Of course!" Korra immediately offered her arm, making Asami laugh when she tried to lead them out of the tent. Her pauldron caught on the flap, nearly tugging the whole structure down before Asami ran to disentangle the cloth. They kept walking, quietly. Korra's face had darkened to a shade of crimson.

"I'm not so graceful, am I?" she finally said.

Asami caught the deep-set furrow of Korra's brow. She laughed. "Well, I think it adds to your charm, honestly."

That caused her to smile. "I appreciate the thought." They walked the rest of the way in silence. Asami was content to simply enjoy Korra's company for as long as she could.

* * *

Down at the jousting field, Korra left Asami at the stands in Jinora's company so she could find Naga and finish any last minute preparations. A small crowd had already gathered. Korra already felt the first hints of nervousness. She kept bringing her hand to her pocket, checking to make sure the necklace Asami had made her was still present.

She found Naga at the stables along with Kai. The young squire worked to get the horse ready, pulling the saddle into place with a tug. "There you are," Korra said. She laughed when he jumped, almost pushing the saddle off Naga. "Where were you at the tents? I needed your help."

Kai glanced at her and frowned. "Well, you seemed to have gotten into it all right. Besides, I was busy with Naga."

"You were busy with Jinora," Korra countered. Her guess was confirmed when Kai blushed a deep red. "And I only got my armor on correctly thanks to Asami's kindness."

Kai snorted and went back to fixing Naga's saddle. "Well, it sounds like I did you a favor to spend a little extra time with Jinora again."

Korra sighed and shook her head. She walked over to where the lances were stored and picked up one, testing its weight. "I'm not some child, Kai. If I wanted to court Asami, I would do it properly, not play games."

"And do you have any interest in courting her?"

Korra was aware of Kai attempting to discretely stare at her past Naga. Her face heated despite her efforts to remain calm. "I don't see how that is any of your business." She pulled Asami's favor from her pocket and slipped it over the lance, grinning when Kai craned his neck to look. "Is Naga ready?"

"Um, of course! Yup, everything is good to go with Naga." Kai moved around to get a better look at her lance. "What do you have on there?"

"Oh, this?' Korra asked, raising the lance. The necklace dangled at the bottom. "I thought that would be obvious, Kai. It's a favor."

Kai nodded. "Who's favor, then?"

"Jinora's," Korra said with as much sarcasm as she could manage. "Now help me mount up. I want to be ready when they call the competitors onto the field." With Kai's help, she climbed atop Naga. She turned to her squire and said, "Bring the rest of the lances out onto the field."

Kai offered her a mock salute. "Of course, Knight-Commander."

Korra rode out of the stables and into an even larger crowd than the one they had left. She swallowed and scanned the crowd for Asami. She sat in the front row, right next to Jinora. A knight on horseback stood in front of them, talking. Asami laughed at something he said. Korra scowled and rode over.

"And would you care to favor my lance, my lady?" the knight asked. As Korra rode up next to him, she saw it was Mako.

Asami caught sight of her and winked. "I'm sorry, Sir Knight, but I've pledged my favor to another, already."

Korra chuckled and leaned over to nudge Mako. "Losing your touch?" she asked, lifting up her lance. She followed Mako's gaze the the necklace dangling at the bottom.

"Oh! Korra! I mean - Knight-Commander. I had no idea you rode with Lady Asami's favor today. My apologies. I - It won't…" A blush crawled high up his face. He cleared his throat. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go finish preparing for the tourney."

As he left, Korra angled her horse to stand closer to where Asami and Jinora sat. She laughed nervously. "What is bothering him?" she asked, glancing at Mako. He idled with his horse at the farthest end of the field.

Looking back, she saw Jinora shrug. Asami's face had reddened as well. "He's coping, I think," Jinora answered.

Korra glanced to Asami, smiling softly. Her stomach flipped when Asami smiled back. "So, my lady, do I strike an impressive pose for the tourney?"

"Very much so." She looked much more relaxed since their encounter with the troupe of performers. "Do you know who is favored to win the tourney, Knight-Commander?"

"That would be me, Lady Asami." All of them turned to catch the sight of Sir Tahno, a knight who had been in service of Unalaq's kingdom. He sat tall upon his steed, his armor gleaming in the sunlight. When Korra had first met Tahno, she did not believe he actually ever fought. He kept his armor too clean. After an encounter with him on the battlefield, however, she learned that he was simply meticulous when it came to appearances. Today was no exception. Aside from polishing his armor to a slick gleam, Tahno had combed back his hair with perhaps just as much oil. "The Southern Kingdom has such poor etiquette in these matters. It's a wonder they stay atop their horses."

"I'd wager there are many Southern Kingdom knights that ride better than you, Tahno," said Asami. Korra glanced between the two, not trusting the glint in Tahno's eyes.

"My lady, you criticize me unfairly." He placed a hand on the grip of his sword. "All you've known is the knights of the Southern Kingdom. If you truly wished to...ride with excellence, I could be persuaded to give you lessons. I hear the Knight-Commander is not the most satisfying teacher." He chuckled softly.

Asami stood and leaned forward in the stands. "Tahno, I find it difficult to imagine you would give better riding lessons, considering any mare would buck you from the saddle before letting you touch it."

"Hmph." Tahno picked up the reins to his steed. He turned to Korra. "You ride with a hellion's favor, Knight-Commander. Be careful that you aren't unseated." He turned and let his horse trot away to the jousting strip.

"Don't listen to that ass," said Asami.

Korra glanced back at her. Her face was red again, though her brow had knit together in a sharp glare directed at Tahno. "If it pleases my lady, I could unseat him in the joust."

"I would kiss you if you did, Korra." As if she just realized what she said, Asami's eyes widened. She looked to Korra. "I mean, I could…"

Korra laughed and turned Naga to the jousting strip. "One kiss for each time I unseat him, my lady?" She flashed a grin before riding off to the starting area. Bolin and a few other knights waited with her. Mako and Tahno had gone to the other end of the field.

"Knight-Commander," greeted Bolin. "How fares your day?"

Korra shrugged, watching the stands fill the rest of the way as the start of the tourney approached. "Well enough," she said. The stands were packed. Even the troupe from earlier had arrived to watch.

"I see you ride with someone's favor today," said Bolin. He offered her a sly grin. "Can I guess whose?"

"No," Korra said. She glanced at Bolin's lance and spotted a delicate silver chain hanging from it. "But you can tell me who favored you, if you wish." That was all it took for Bolin to regale her with tales of his latest love. He talked on until Tonraq and Senna took the stage at the head of the jousting pit. The crowd cheered as the Earth Queen joined them.

"My people!" said Tonraq. "Welcome to the tourney. Today, our competitors will battle for the honor of the Earth Queen. Let the joust begin!"

The first competitors started. Korra's mind wandered, however, and she found herself watching the stand more than her opponents, which would not work in her favor later in the tourney. Her first match arrived against one of the younger knights. She easily unseated him, ending his competition in the joust right away.

Mako and Bolin somehow ended up competing against one another next, with Mako unseating his brother. Tahno took out Mako immediately after, however. Korra faced off against three more knights before only her and Tahno were left. She guided Naga to their end of the field and looked down to where Tahno waited. She could not see his face behind the helm, but she could still imagine his sneer. She handed her broken lance to Kai. "Fetch me another, and make sure Asami's favor is attached." When Kai returned, she hoisted the lance in her grip, testing its weight. It felt good.

She inhaled slowly, trying to block out the sounds of the crowd. Sweat rolled down her forehead, stinging her eyes, but she refused to blink. The day was hot and the jousting strip smelled like a stye. This was it, though. The last match for the day. Her father spoke to the crowd, but his words washed over her.

She adjusted her position in her saddle, waiting. She watched Tahno prepare on the other end. They waited. Her heart pounded.

Finally, the signal came, and she dug her heels into Naga's flanks, spurring the horse along the track. She angled her lance at Tahno, aware that his was pointed directly at her. A resounding crack filled the air and splinters scattered as they rode past one another. Korra's body jerked back with the force of Tahno's strike and her arm pulled to the side as her now broken lance skittered off his armor. She gritted her teeth and pulled herself back into a sitting position. Naga led them to the end of the strip and back around to her original starting position. Kai waited for her.

"You both broke your lances," he said, another lance in his grip. He took Korra's broken one and transferred Asami's necklace to the new one. Handing it up to her, he said, "Aim higher. He doesn't balance properly on his horse. A strike to the shoulder might send him flying."

Korra nodded and pulled Naga into position. "I'll keep it in mind." She watched Tahno pull into position again. They waited. The signal came and the thunder of hooves against the dirt filled her ears. She aimed her lance higher this time, pointing to his right shoulder. Something was off, though. She looked for the point of Tahno's lance and saw it angled dangerously low, as if he did not intend to strike her at all…

"Woah!" Korra pulled Naga out of the riding lane just as the lance skirted her flank. The horse cried out and a gasp rose from the stands. Korra pulled Naga to a stop and checked her flank. Barely a scratch, but it would have caused serious damage if Korra had not pulled away. A hush had fallen over the stands, and Korra glanced at the King's Box to see her father standing up. He glared directly at Tahno.

"Sir Knight!" he called. "Care to explain yourself?"

Tahno reared his horse around and rode up to the King's Box. "A tragic mistake, my lord," he offered. "My arm grows tired with the day so long. It will not happen again."

"See that it doesn't," Tonraq ordered. "You would do well not to shame the Earth Queen with a poor performance."

They returned to their places. Kai approached Korra and patted Naga's flank gently, checking for anything more serious. "She looks all right," he said.

"I'll kill him," Korra growled.

"Just aim high. He won't try that again with your father watching for it. You'll send him flying, I'm sure of it."

Korra nodded and glanced out at the stands. She caught Asami watching her intently. "I hope so. There's a kiss in it for me if I do."

Kai laughed. "Good luck, Knight-Commander." He stepped away, allowing the final preparations for the round to begin.

Korra waited anxiously. She shifted in her saddle, trying to find a more comfortable position. Her body ached from riding all day, but it would be over soon. The signal came and Naga took off. She angled the lance at Tahno's middle, waiting for the last possible second.

She shifted the lance point upward, hitting him above his heart. She felt the lance bend in her grip, the length shattering as Tahno flipped backward, flying off the end of his horse and landing in the dust. The cheer that roared from the stands nearly deafened her. A grin spread across her lips, and she hoisted her splintered lance high, Asami's necklace still safely in place at the base.

She rode Naga around the jousting strip for a victor's lap before stopping in front of the King's Box. She removed her helm and smiled at her father. He smiled back, stepping down from the box and offering her his hand in assistance. "Well done," he whispered.

With both her father's and Kai's help, she dismounted, then allowed Tonraq to lead her up the stage. He lifted her arm in the air. "My people, your tourney champion!"

Another cheer rose up. Korra turned to Kai and offered him the broken lance. She pulled the necklace from it and said, "I need you to bring Asami to the Victor's Ceremony. I intend to collect on a promised reward from her."

* * *

**A/N:** Apologies for no stream last Friday. Sy took a personal day and I was at work late. Here we have chapter seven though! Make sure to check out Ozkit on Tumblr for more fantastic drawings related to this story. There will, however, be a stream this Friday at 5 pm Pacific time. Check us out on the twitch channel Luraline to watch us play video games!


	8. Chapter 8

Asami rose from the stands with the rest of the others. The award ceremony would take place off the field, and she did not want to get lost in the throng of people making their way onto the fairgrounds. "Where are you off to?" she asked Jinora.

The mage apprentice shrugged. "I suppose I'll see what the fairground is offering, unless Kai can get away from his duties."

"Jinora!" a familiar voice called in the crowd.

Asami laughed. "Speaking of which…"

Jinora grinned, turning and looking for Kai amidst the people. "Over here!" she called back, waving.

He pushed past a group of nobles leaving the stands, not even stopping to apologize when they cursed at him. He finally reached the two of them and stopped short. Jinora took a hesitant step forward, but then stopped. Kai blushed and put a hand to the back of his head. "Um...hi," he said.

"Hi," Jinora replied.

Asami cleared her throat. "Is there something you needed, Kai? Or should I leave you two alone?"

His face turned bright red. "Oh! Yes. The Knight-Commander asked that I take you to the Victor's Ceremony. They'll be awarding her first prize for the joust, soon."

Asami smiled. There had been nothing more gratifying than seeing her knock Tahno off his horse. "Well, lead the way." She offered her arm and Kai took it. Jinora took hold of his other arm.

"I'll come, too," she said.

Kai's face reddened even further as he looked between the two of them. "I...of course. Right this way, my ladies." As they walked Kai kept glancing at Asami out of the corner of his eye.

After about the third time Asami finally spoke, "Kai, whatever it is, just ask."

He gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry...I just wondered if it was really your favor on Korra's lance."

Asami felt her face heat. She glanced at the ground, avoiding their gazes. "It was."

"Wait, what?" Jinora asked. "She asked you to favor her?"

"Asked is not the way I would put it. I offered to make a favor, and she accepted. It's nothing special. Korra was simply being honorable." She tried to sound nonchalant.

"Uh huh…" Kai grinned. "So what was Korra saying about collecting a reward from you?"

"I-I don't know what you mean."

"Didn't you say that if she unhorsed Tano you'd -" Asami reached around Kai and shoved Jinora, shooting her a glare. Jinora stifled a laugh but didn't comment further. The closer they got to the awards tent, the more anxiety Asami felt. _Surely Korra thought I was joking. Well, I wasn't joking, but Korra doesn't know that. Does she? Does she want me to kiss her?_ _Maybe I could get away with a kiss on the cheek?_ She frowned as she tried to determine the best course of action. Did she want to kiss Korra? And what if the whole nobility looked on? It was an award ceremony, after all. The Earth Queen would be there! What kind of talk would that make?

"Asami?" Kai asked.

"Hm?"

"We're here." He nodded toward the tent.

Jinora unhooked her arm from Kai and placed it on Asami's shoulder. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Of course." She caught sight of the Knight-Commander striding confidently into the pavilion. She tried to ignore the way her heart raced. "It's just Korra after all."

* * *

The large tent was surrounded by a ring of people who waited for the ceremony to begin. Korra scanned the crowd until she finally spotted Asami, Kai, and Jinora. She motioned for them to come closer and the trio made their way into the tent.

"Ladies." Korra bowed as they approached. When she straightened she heard the soft clink of Asami's necklace against her armor. She noted that Asami's gaze darted down and widened at the sight of the favor around her neck.

"You called for me, Knight-Commander?" Her voice sounded strange.

"It would only be fitting to have you here m'lady. After all, I won in your name." Korra took a step closer. "And it is my understanding that I will be awarded two prizes this day."

Asami smiled. "Of course. I am a lady who keeps her word."

Korra returned the smile. _Alright, here's your moment Korra. Don't mess this up. _Korra took a breath. "Perhaps it would be better to have a more...private award ceremony? After this one I mean."

Asami's jaw went slack. "I…" She cleared her throat. "Are you certain?"

"I am. But I would understand if I've misinterpreted or-"

"No!" Asami interrupted. A few people turned to look at the outburst. They both blushed. "That is, I was just surprised. I was not aware you…" Asami glanced at the tent full of people. "That you would value such a reward."

Korra took another step forward. "More than all the gold I've won today," she said softly. Their eyes met and for a moment Korra wished she could just skip the ceremony. All the subtle comments that people had made, especially the past week, made sense. _Asami likes me. She's liked me for some time now, and I am a flaming idiot._

"Korra, we're ready to begin." Tonraq's voice jarred her from the moment.

Korra smiled apologetically. "I'll only be a moment." She wanted to take Asami's hand and kiss it, but she forced herself to walk to her father. She joined him on the stage with the Earth Queen and the other tourney champions

"It is my honor to have the Earth Queen present the champions with their prizes!" Tonraq said. "For the sword fighting competition, I am pleased to present to you Sir Mako as your tournament champion!" A cheer rose from the people and Mako stepped forward to accept his reward. Korra grinned as Mako bowed stiffly and quickly retreated back to his place in the line of champions. Korra tried not to be impatient. The joust champion would be announced last, and so she would have to wait through the entire ceremony before she would be able to speak with Asami alone. She wanted to look at her, but didn't want to draw any attention. She ended up scanning the crowd for her anyway, but only saw unfamiliar faces of the nobility.

Except for the knife thrower. Korra paused when she saw him standing there, hands folded. She did not see any of the other troupe members standing with him. It should not have mattered. She tried to let her mind wander to what the evening might hold, but could not settle on the pleasant thoughts. Something felt off. Something was _wrong._ If Korra had her sword she would have gripped the hilt for reassurance. She wanted to demand everyone to clear the area. _Yes, that would go over well. Make a scene just because you have a gut feeling._ She did not trust the way he smirked, the way he looked at them as if he knew something they could not.

Korra looked back to the Earth Queen. She held up a trophy and gestured at her. The other tournament winners had parted, making way for her to walk up. Korra took a step forward, turning away from the crowd. She heard a gasp. Someone in the audience cried out. Korra turned and saw someone moving forward in the crowd. A glint of steel flashed in the sunlight and she raised her arm. Something thudded into her right pauldron and she cried out. She saw the acrobat vault the stage. Her father drew his sword and charged but the firebreather mounted the stage as well, catching him around the middle before turning him and throwing him from the stage.

"Father!" She ran for him while the other knights moved to catch the knife-thrower. Someone yelled about a snake. Her pulse pounded in her ears. Her shoulder hurt; something pinched the skin. When she made it to the edge of the stage, she saw her father laying on his back, staring wide-eyed up at the sky and gasping.

"Not me!" he croaked. "The queen! Get the queen!"

She heard more screams. "Save me! Someone help!" Korra moved to protect the Earth Queen, but it was too late. The acrobat had her in his grip, knife to her neck. He looked right at Korra, grinned, and then slid the blade of the dagger across the Earth Queen's throat, turning her shrieks in a grotesque gurgle before dying out.

He let her body drop and Korra ran to close the distance between them. He vaulted off the stage and sprinted away. Her armor slowed her too much. She knew she would never catch him. She looked for the other troupe members, but all of them had vanished from the crowd. Even the knights, who gave chase, had not managed to capture a single person.

"Does anyone have a horse?" Korra called. "I need a horse!" But no one listened. The crowd surged around the stage, people crying for help. She brought her fingers to her lips and blew a sharp whistle. "Naga!" she called. Too many people ran around the field. Too many people, too much screaming. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the sight of blood trailing over the stage floor. Her arm felt numb. She groped behind her shoulder and could feel a needle protruding from just under her paldron, lodged between the chain links.

"Korra!" Asami was pushing her way through the people. Naga galloped into view. Korra glanced between Naga and Asami. She staggered for Naga. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To stop them," said Korra. She tried to pull herself onto the horse, but her right arm refused to move. "Naga, come on, kneel."

"You can't even fight!" Asami grabbed her and pulled back. "What do you expect to do if you even catch them?"

"They killed the queen!"

"And they're gone, so stay here before they kill you!" Korra ignored her, trying once again to pull herself atop Naga. The world would not stay in focus. "You don't even have a weapon!" Asami's voice sounded farther away. She slumped against Naga. "Korra?"

"I…" She shook her head, trying to clear her focus. "I need to…" Her eyes closed, and they were too heavy to open again.

"Korra!"

The last thing she felt was Asami's arms wrapping around her.

* * *

Korra woke up to pain. She groaned and tried to move, but her joints screamed at her. "Don't move," someone said. She felt a warm hand on her forehead. "You need a few more hours rest. The poultice needs time to work."

With some effort, Korra managed to open her eyes. Tenzin sat by her, smiling down at her in a relieved way. "What happened?" she asked.

"You were exposed to a poison designed to shut down a person's body. Luckily, the dosage was small enough and Asami got you here to me in time." Tenzin nodded to the other side of her bed. Korra craned her neck to see Asami sitting next to her, a look of worry etched in her brow.

"My father…"

"He's fine. He is with the Earth Kingdom dignitaries as we speak." Tenzin frowned and shook his head. "I simply cannot believe they would be so bold. A public attack is unprecedented for them."

"Who...who do you mean? Who attacked?"

"They call themselves the Red Lotus," Tenzin explained. "They are an assassination group that has worked in the shadows for quite some time now. I had thought their order all but extinct." Tenzin shook his head and sighed. "I should never have thought Zaheer would quietly slip away. Of course they were just waiting."

"I don't understand." Korra looked between the two of them. She managed to pull herself higher up against her pillows. "Why did they assassinate the Earth Queen? Why not capture or ransom her?"

"They don't want power," said Tenzin. "They want only chaos." He hesitated a moment, gaze darting from Korra to his folded hands. "Killing the queen here just raises tension between the two kingdoms." He rubbed his forehead. "Things are going to be very complicated from here on out, Korra."

"What's going to happen?" she asked. She looked to Asami again, but the blacksmith stared at the floor. "Asami?"

She met Korra's gaze for a moment, her green eyes shimmering. "No one knows, Korra."

The three of them were silent for a moment. Korra hated being stuck in bed recovering while the kingdom prepared for possible war. She looked at Asami again and cleared her throat. "Tezin, if you don't mind, I need to discuss something with Asami alone."

His brows raised and he nearly tripped over himself as he stood to leave. "Of course, Knight- Commander." He left and shut the door behind him. Asami looked at her expectantly.

"Asami, I'm sorry."

"For what? None of this is your fault-" Asami moved to grab her hand.

"No." Korra sighed. "I wanted today to be…" _A new start? A chance at something more?_ "I had so much I wanted to say. So much I wanted to talk to you about." It would have been easier before. If she had realized a day sooner...

"There's no reason you can't say it now."

"But there are. There are so many reasons Asami." She clutched the blanket tightly, unwilling to take hold of Asami. "I've only just realized how much you...how much I… and now it doesn't matter."

"Don't be an idiot, of course it matters."

"Asami, I know you and Tenzin tried to hide it from me, but there's only one outcome here." She closed her eyes and grit her teeth against the word she hated. "War. War will come again, and I will have to go and fight in it."

"So are you going to sit there and tell me you're closing yourself off from me for my own good? That it'll hurt less to see you leave?"

Korra shook her head. "No. It's going to hurt no matter what I say. But I'll not have you dragged down with me."

Asami withdrew her hand. "Dragged down...what?"

"Who do you think they are going to blame?" Korra asked. "Half of the kingdom already hates me. You know they already call me Kingslayer. It's a simple matter to add a queen to that tally."

Asami shook her head. "Korra, no one blames you."

"No? Look me in the eye and tell me honestly that they won't use me as a scapegoat again." Just as she thought, Asami could not meet her gaze.

"Korra...even if they do, this is my decision, too."

"No."

"Excuse me?" Asami's brow furrowed. The bite in her tone hurt, but Korra had to continue.

"No, I won't let you do this. You've worked too hard to get where you are, to make a name for yourself that isn't attached to your father. I still remember how hard you had to fight just to get people to take you seriously. I don't want them associating you with me, and when I leave, they won't."

"I won't let you do this." Tears formed in her eyes. They spilled over, crawling down her cheeks.

Korra shook her head. "You don't have a choice."

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay everyone. Busy week! Here is chapter 8, though. Thank you very much to Ozkit for drawing fantastic stuff for this project. Go check her out on Tumblr! Just to let you all know, Sy will be livestreaming on twitch via the channel Luraline this Friday at 5 pm pacific time, and quite possibly might be joined by Ozkit, who has made appearances from time to time. See you all in a week!


	9. Chapter 9

Korra leaned against Tenzin as they walked down the hallway. They had wanted her to stay in bed for longer, but she was not going to let them keep her from attending the war council. Begrudgingly, Tenzin had agreed to help her into the meeting. The guards pulled open the doors for them and Korra glanced around the room. Her father sat at the head of the table. To his right she recognized Prince Wu. Next to him, however, was a woman she had not yet met. Her long dark hair was pulled back into a braid. Her leaf-green eyes held Korra's gaze in a way that was almost demanding.

"Korra!" Tonraq stood and moved to her other side.

"Father, I'm fine." She waved him away and Tenzin helped her into a chair. "See? I'm sitting."

"Princess Korra, I'm pleased you felt well enough to join us," Prince Wu said. Korra resisted the urge to wince.

"As Knight-Commander I felt it is my duty to be here," Korra replied. She turned to the other woman. "I don't believe we've met."

"I am General Kuvira." She bowed her head slightly.

"I don't recall seeing you in the lists for the tourney," Korra said.

The Earth Kingdom General shrugged and sat back in her chair. "I have never enjoyed jousting. I find it outdated and barbaric."

Korra frowned. Kuvira was clearly using the statement to claim superiority. She wouldn't let her do so without a challenge. "It is a time-honored tradition used to test skill."

Kuvira smiled at her. "Please, it is not so much a test of skill as a measure of how big your lances are."

Korra growled and leaned forward in her seat. She wanted to reply, but Tonraq interrupted. "Ladies, we did not come here to discuss jousting."

Kuvira allowed her smile to linger a moment longer before turning away from Korra and giving Tonraq her full attention. "Apologies, your Majesty."

Before continuing, Tonraq gave both of them a stern look. When neither offered anything else to say, he pressed on. "As we all know, Zaheer and his companions were able to escape. We have intelligence that suggests they are all members of the Red Lotus." Tonraq sighed. "Which is cause for concern. For them to have assassinated such a high ranking official in broad daylight, in front of so many people, means that they are preparing for a larger assault."

"Do we have any idea what their group wants?" Korra asked.

"We know that the Red Lotus' goal is to revert the world back to it's supposed natural order, chaos." Tonraq met Korra's questioning gaze. "And that could very well mean that they seek to eliminate the ruling classes."

"So you could be next?" Korra gripped the arm rest of her chair. "They could still be here in the castle somewhere, or hiding in the wilderness, waiting to take you down."

"If I had been their intended target, I would be dead. They certainly had their chance to kill me."

"So why spare you?" Korra asked. _Why spare any of us?_

"If I may?" Kuvira interjected. Tonraq nodded. "Tensions between our two kingdoms has always been strong. You may not be aware, but the Earth Kingdom is no longer united under a single banner. Wealthy land holders squabble among themselves and now with no Queen…" She shook her head. "It will be a blood bath. Peasant armies pit against one another, fighting over scraps of land. Killing the Earth Queen here, on Water Kingdom soil, makes you a target."

"You mean me," Korra said.

"Korra, no one here blames you," Tenzin said gently.

"No one here, perhaps. But what about out there?" Korra pointed out the window. "You think I don't know what they say about me already? I'll wager some of them are saying that I was in on it all, and I was poisoned to avoid suspicion." She took a breath to calm herself. "We need to take action. We need to show the Earth Kingdom that this action will not be ignored." She met her father's eyes. "You need to send me after him."

Tonraq frowned and shook his head. "Korra, you're still recovering."

"By the time we gather enough intelligence for me to follow him, I'll be fine," Korra said. "If you send anyone else, they'll think you're not taking the threat seriously."

Tonraq thudded his fist on the table. "You are not going alone!"

Korra nodded. "I'll take Mako and Bolin with me, and Kai of course."

Tonraq shook his head. "That's not enough."

Korra frowned as she thought it over. "Tezin could come with me."

Tonraq crossed his arms. "Tenzin is staying here to educate Prince Wu for his coronation."

Korra shrugged. "Then we'll make due without him."

Tenzin cleared his throat. Everyone in the room looked to him. He raised a brow and folded his hands together. "Jinora should go in my stead," he said quietly.

Tonraq frowned. "Are you certain she is ready?"

Tenzin nodded. "As much as I wish she could stay my little girl forever, it is time she had a trial. This task will more than fulfill that requirement."

"Would that be satisfactory, General?" Korra met Kuvira's gaze. "Or were you going to volunteer to travel with us?"

Kuvira's smile did not quite reach her eyes. "I have my own matters to attend to, _princess. _I will be doing my best to once again unite my people, and try to prevent a civil war."

"So then, I will set out with my small group to track and kill Zaheer and his followers. We're all in agreement?" Korra asked. Eventually, everyone at the table gave their consent.

* * *

Asami frowned as she looked into the empty bedroom. She had hoped to try to talk some sense into Korra after the hot-headed woman had been given a chance to calm down. She walked through the halls, surprised when she nearly stumbled into the Queen.

"Your Majesty!" Asami bowed. "My apologies."

When she looked up again, the Queen smiled at her. "Asami dear, how many times have I asked you to call me Senna?"

"Too many." Asami smiled and straightened. "Have you seen Korra?"

"Korra is in a war meeting with her father." Senna gestured to a chair as she seated herself. "Was there something you needed?"

Asami sighed and sat across from her. "I had hoped to speak with her, both of them actually."

"You have business with the King?"

Asami hesitated for a moment before replying. "Korra and I had a...disagreement."

Senna grinned. "Ah, I see."

Asami glanced out the door, making sure no one approached the room. Since they were alone, she continued. "She seems to think that, after what happened, it would be damaging to my reputation to be around her." Some of the tension in her body eased. It felt good to talk with someone about it.

Senna raised a brow. "Even though the entire castle thinks you two are already lovers?"

Asami blushed. "I don't think she's aware of that, actually."

Senna chuckled and motioned for Asami to continue. "Well, either way, what did you two 'disagree' about?"

"She's determined to go off to war and just...forget about everything."

"And you don't want her to go?"

"I know she'll have to go. That's what she does. But to rationalize not giving us a chance just because of what people think, or what _might_ happen..." Asami closed her eyes and tried to quell her anger. "Sometimes I just want to throttle her."

Senna smiled. "I frequently feel that way about her father."

Asami laughed softly. "I believe it."

"You know," Senna stroked her chin thoughtfully. "It seems to me, that if Korra were to go on a long journey, it would be very difficult for her to maintain her armor."

Asami's eyes widened as she caught the meaning in Senna's remark. "She does tend to treat her armor roughly."

"I know I'm not a warrior, but it would make sense to me to have someone along on the journey that could repair their armor and weapons." Senna raised a brow. "And what if their horses throw a shoe?"

"Your Majesty...are you suggesting that-"

"Oh, I'm just idly talking, dear. I would _never_ suggest to the King that he should send a blacksmith along. After all, we'll need your father here to help fortify our defenses. We couldn't _possibly_ spare a blacksmith."

Asami smiled. "But I'll bet you could spare his apprentice."

* * *

Korra looked over the activity near the stables. Servants were nearly done packing their belongings into the wagon. They led two strong work horses and began securing them to the hitch. Mako and Bolin were finishing up with their horses. Korra spotted Jinora walking toward them with her pack.

"Korra!" Jinora waved. Kai poked his head out of the wagon and beamed.

"Jinora!" he called. He waved at her. She giggled and waved to him as well.

Korra rolled her eyes. _Great, I'm going to have to spend half the trip being a chaperone._ "Do you have everything ready to go?"

"I do. Am I going to be riding in the wagon with the supplies?"

Korra nodded. "You know how to drive a team of horses, right?"

Jinora nodded and tossed her pack into the wagon. "Yes, but wouldn't Asami be better suited to drive the horses? I mean she's had more experience with driving a wagon team."

Korra frowned. "Asami? What do you mean?"

"Asami told me she was coming with you." Jinora furrowed her brow. "Is she not?"

Korra instinctively placed her hand on the grip of her sword. "Not if I can help it."

Someone spoke up from behind them, "Well, it's not really up to you."

Korra turned to find Asami loading a pack, and what looked like blacksmithing tools into the front of the wagon. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Following orders." Asami finished stowing her gear and rounded on Korra. "Orders from the King. If you have a problem with this, take it up with your father."

Korra stared at Asami. Her jaw moved as if she were making words, but instead she only voiced incoherent sputtering. She turned away and stormed out of the barn. She didn't have to go far before she ran into Tonraq and Senna.

"Korra, I was just about to see you off." He paused and regarded her cautiously. "Is something the matter?"

"Asami's coming with us?"

"You need someone to look after your armor, shoe your horses, mend your weapons." He counted the duties off on each of his fingers. "Also, I hear she's a fairly accomplished cook." He nudged Korra with his elbow.

Korra gritted her teeth. "No one thought I should know about this?"

"She's the only one who could do this job other than her father, and we need him here." Tonraq shrugged. "And besides, we thought you'd welcome the ability to spend more time with Asami."

Korra pinched the bridge of her nose. "You do realize you are sending a civilian on a highly dangerous mission."

"You didn't mind Jinora coming along," Senna countered.

Korra groaned and massaged her temple. "She's a mage! She's been training for this kind of thing!"

"Are you saying I can't handle myself?" Asami moved to stand by Korra and crossed her arms. Her glare made Korra wonder how much she had heard.

"Korra, Asami is well-known as a hand to hand combat expert. It's not as if we're throwing her to the wolves."

Korra glanced from her mother, to her father, and then to Asami. "You all _planned _ this, didn't you?" she accused. "This was all decided behind my back and the only reason I learned about it before we were physically leaving is because of Jinora!"

"Maybe if you were _speaking_ to me I would have told you," Asami shot back.

Korra threw her hands into the air. "Fine! Come with us, get yourself killed. See if I care." She leaned in close to Asami. "I wanted to spare you this," she said.

"Spare me what?" Asami asked, raising a brow. "Getting my hands dirty? Having to fend for myself? Ruining my good reputation? I'm not some noblewoman, Korra."

"That's not what I meant." Instead of explaining further, Korra left for the barn, ignoring any farewell her parents might have given her. When she reached Naga's side, Jinora approached her.

"You know, Asami will be just fine," she said.

Korra shook her head. "That's not what this is about, Jinora," she said. she straightened the packs on her horse one more time. "I know she's strong, I know she can fight. But not everything that we're going up against out there can be fought with your fists." Korra tightened the straps on her saddle. She met Jinora's gaze. "How am I supposed to protect her from that?"

With a sad shrug, Jinora replied, "You can't."

* * *

A/N Sorry about the late update today. Michelle and I are taking some relaxation time now that the week from hell is over. Those of you who read Conflict Resolution, WE ARE GOING TO KEEP WRITING IN IT. I don't know how many times I can say this in how many places, but it IS going to happen. The updates are not going to be as frequent as Blacksmith, and I'm sorry about that, but we're doing the best we can.

As always Michelle and I will be streaming on Fridays at 5pm Pacific time on the Twitch channel Luraline. Come hang out with us!


	10. Chapter 10

Asami held the reins loosely. The horses were well trained and they were only taking a moderate pace, favoring stamina over speed. Despite Korra leading the way, and being as far away from Asami as physically possible, Asami found herself watching her as she rode. Jinora nudged Asami playfully.

"Hey, you'd better pay attention or you'll drive the team off the road," she whispered.

Asami laughed. "Please, these horses would do just fine without me. They're so used to following the road, I think I'll have the most difficulty getting them to stop." Her smile faded as her attention turned back to Korra.

"I'd accuse you of staring at her backside, but I don't even think you can see that from here," Kai piped up from behind her.

Asami turned and swatted him upside the head. "Oh like you're one to talk." Kai blushed and sank back down among the contents of the wagon. "If it weren't for my blacksmith skills, I'd have thought Tenzin sent me to be your chaperone." Jinora blushed as well. _Well that made them be quiet._ The silence was short-lived as Kai spoke again.

"Is she still not talking to you?" he asked softly.

"Unless you count her yelling at me before we left, no." Asami gripped the reins tighter. "Honestly, I thought _someone_ would have told her. I never meant for it to be sprung on her like that."

"She's worried about you, you know?" Kai said. He shifted until he was able to rest his arms on the back of her seat. "She's not actually mad."

"I just want her to talk to me about things instead of just deciding."

Kai laughed. "She's the Knight-Commander, Asami. That's her job." He poked her shoulder. "And like it or not, you're under her command now."

_I wish I was under her -_ Asami took a deep breath and pushed the thought away. "She can't just order me around. I'm not one of her knights."

"I think that might be the problem," Jinora said.

"How do you mean?"

Jinora hesitated. "Before we left, she said something...I don't know if it's my place to-"

"Please, Jinora."

"She said there were things out there that she couldn't protect you from...things you can't fight."

"Things I can't…" Asami frowned. Something pulled at her memory. She remembered the night at the ball, standing on the balcony with Korra. _Sometimes...sometimes I'll dream the battles over and over._

"Why such a frown, mi'lady?" Bolin had slowed his horse so that he rode alongside the wagon.

"Lost in thought." Asami made herself smile. "It must be a special torment for you to have to ride next to the two of them." She nodded towards Mako and Korra.

Bolin sighed. "I'd have better conversations with stones. Regardless..." He glanced up at Korra for a moment before continuing. "How is the mission coming along?"

"Mission?" Asami asked. She did not trust the small grin Bolin offered.

"_Your _mission." He winked.

"I don't…" Asami looked to Jinora, hoping she would offer some enlightenment. Jinora only shrugged, however.

"The quest for Korra's heart," Bolin hissed.

"The quest for Korra's trousers…" Kai muttered.

Asami smacked him again. "Stop that, _all _of you." Bolin frowned and opened his mouth to argue but Asami interrupted him. "No, I mean it. You all need to let Korra and I work this out." She glanced up at Korra again. "If she'll talk to me."

* * *

Korra kept her eyes focused on the road. Mako rode beside her, his gaze directly on the road. After Bolin fell back with the wagon, Mako finally spoke.

"So...did you want to talk about it, Knight-Commander?" Mako asked.

"Talk about what?" Korra snapped.

"Asami," Mako said softly. "Even you can't be that dense."

Korra stiffened in the saddle, her grip on Naga's reins tightening. "That's none of your business."

"Isn't it? She's my friend." Mako hesitated. "I thought after the ball, that you two were...you know."

"No, we're not." Korra resisted the urge to gallop ahead of the group.

"Why not?" Mako asked.

Korra sighed. "Why is everyone so determined that we become a couple?"

Mako shrugged, the hard line of his features softening as he considered the question. Mako was known for being one of the more serious knights simply for his demeanor. Korra had learned to recognize the emotions hidden under the severe looks. He was concerned. "It's obvious that she has feelings for you...Do you not return them?"

Korra fixed her gaze to the road ahead. "It doesn't matter…"

"Really? I am fairly certain that it does."

"Mako…" Korra made a frustrated noise. "Do you remember why we broke up?"

"Because we couldn't spend five minutes together without arguing?"

"And what did we argue about?"

Mako was quiet for a moment before he answered. "The rebellion, how to handle it."

"Is it so wrong of me to try to keep Asami from being dragged into a war?" Korra shook her head. "She has no idea what warfare can be like, what it can do to a person."

"Maybe if you'd talked with her about it instead of ordering her around, she wouldn't have needed to follow you out here."

"You're saying this is my fault?" She glared at him.

"I'm saying that you two need to _talk._ Like _adults._" He raised a brow at her. "Unless you think you're going to spend the entire mission talking to only me."

Korra gave him a small grin. "I don't think either of us can handle that."

* * *

Asami was grateful when Korra finally announced that they were making camp for the evening. She and Jinora tied the horses to a nearby tree and unpacked as Korra and Mako started to set up the two tents. Bolin and Kai went to gather firewood. Asami tried not to think about how cramped it would be to have three people to a tent. She also tried not to think of how uncomfortable it would be to lie so close to Korra every night.

No one talked much through dinner except Kai and Jinora who chatted aimlessly. He asked her for stories about the constellations, and she gave him some. They lay back on the grass-strewn plain, Kai resting his head against Jinora's shoulder as she pointed out different stars and related their stories. Bolin scooted closer and gave her his rapt attention. Mako remained where he was, but Asami could tell he listened. Korra, on the other hand, sat far away from her, staring into the fire with a surly, far-off expression. her brow had knit together, and her choppy hair fell around her face in a disheveled way.

"What about those?" Kai asked.

"Those are the Lovers," Jinora said. Asami glanced over at the young mage to see a smile tugging at her lips. "You want to hear their story? It's a little sad."

"I'm always up for a good romance!" said Bolin.

Jinora chuckled but still waited for Kai to nod. She glanced over at Asami. "Well?" she asked.

With a sigh, Asami nodded. "Don't let me come in the way of a good story."

Jinora nodded and glanced back up at the stars. "Those." She pointed at a tight cluster of pinpricks in the sky. The whole night was a splattered canvas. Asami did not know how Jinora so easily picked out shapes from the mess. "Are the stars that chart our story. There were two lovers, forbidden from one another. A war divided their people." She pointed out a cluster of stars. "And a mountain kept them apart."

Bolin cried out, "I see it!" Asami chuckled at his enthusiasm. Some might mistake Bolin for an oaf, but she knew he acted like a child more in the interest of lightening the mood.

"They did not let this come between their love, however."

Asami glanced over at Korra, but she still stared fixedly at the fire.

"They found ways to meet in secret so that neither of their clans would find them. no matter how the war raged on, they always found a way." Jinora paused for a moment. A stillness had fallen over everyone. "But one day, one of the lovers perished in the war. Their other half, furious, released a display of power on the battlefield that left both clans stunned and terrified. Some say it was magic, some say brute strength. Whatever it was, it was enough to make the clans call a truce. They finally found peace together, but not until after a heavy price had been paid."

She stopped, and the hushed silence held onto them for a moment longer. Then, Bolin said, "That story was sadder than I thought it would be."

Jinora nodded. "It's a tragedy."

Asami heard the crunch of gravel and looked over to see Korra standing up. "I'm going to bed," she muttered, turning away before anyone could respond.

Asami watched her go for a moment before turning to Jinora. "Is that really how the story goes?" she asked.

Jinora nodded. "That's why I asked if I should tell it."

With a groan, Asami got to her feet. "I think I should go talk to her," she said. No one replied as she walked to the tent. She pulled aside the flap and crawled inside, finding Korra curled up in a blanket, her back to the entrance. "Korra?" she asked.

"I'm trying to sleep, Asami."

She moved to sit next to Korra, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I know. I just wanted to say something, then I'll go to sleep as well." Korra shrugged her shoulder against her hand, but she kept it there. She thought of what she wanted to say, but could not summon the right words, so she said, "Fun story, huh?"

"It was a stupid story," Korra muttered.

"Why is that?" Asami asked. She felt Korra shift against her again, and scooted back as she sat up, hugging her knees to her chest.

"They put themselves and everyone else in danger, just to try and be together." Korra would not even look at her. "One of them died, and the other...the other just couldn't handle it."

Asami reached out and touched Korra's arm. She could feel the muscles bunched tightly just under the surface. "It's just a story," she said.

"Yeah?" Korra sniffed and rubbed a hand over her eyes. "Well, I don't want it to be ours, Asami."

"Korra, I'm not going to die-"

"What about me?" Korra finally looked at her. The darkness of the tent hid her tears, but Asami knew they were there. "You can't make that promise to me, just as much as I can't promise my safety to you. Asami…" She felt Korra shudder. "What if I'm the one that dies? What if you're left to grieve? I don't...I don't…" Words gave way to broken sobs. Korra buried her face in her arms, muffling the noise.

Asami pulled Korra into her arms. "Korra," she whispered, cradling her head with a gentle hand. "Korra, I know you're worried." She wanted to say everything would be all right, but she did not know if that was true. For once, she felt just as much worry as Korra. "And...you have every right to be worried. I know I can't understand what war is like. But...this is something you cannot protect me from. And I cannot protect you from it either." Korra still shook and shuddered in her arms. "I won't ask anything of you, Korra. I did not come on this journey to force us together." She felt tears stain her neck as Korra pressed into her. "I came because I believe in what you're doing, and I believe you deserve all the help you can get." She hesitated a moment before continuing. "I...never wanted my presence to cause you this pain."

They sat in the darkness together, Asami holding Korra tightly while her sobs subsided. When they were little more than shivers, when the darkness and the silence of the night pressed on them so tightly that she thought they might lose themselves in it, she heard Korra whisper, "You don't."

* * *

A/N Hey everyone! I had a great time on stream on Friday. I love all the pictures you guys are making based off the mini-game of Hot Hoof we've been playing. Keep up the good work! Keep tagging Michelle and I in them, we think they are awesome! For those of you who don't know what we're talking about, come see on Fridays at 5pm Pacific time on the twitch channel Luraline. And yes, this is a reference to the story of Omashu. SECRET TUNNEL! ~Sy


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning, everyone emerged from their tents bleary-eyed and yawning. Bolin sat hunched over the fire pit, nudging the growing flames with a stick every now and then and gnawing on a strip of jerky. A pot of water rested over the fire. Mugs waited nearby to be filled. Korra pulled herself over to the campfire and sat down. "Morning," she mumbled.

"Good morning," said Bolin. He sat back on his hands and glanced around Korra. "Where's Asami and Jinora?"

"They're coming." She did not offer any more information. She knew Bolin would only dig for details that were not present. All three of them shared a restless night. Between their new travel circumstances, and the quiet tension that expanded between Korra and Asami, no one had gotten much sleep. Korra went over to one of the packs that contained food and pulled an apple from it. She focused on eating, and not Bolin's stare.

He opened his mouth to speak, but thankfully, Jinora and Asami chose that moment to crawl from the tent and join them by the fire. "Good morning," said Jinora. She sighed and leaned against her staff. "Knight-Commander, did you wish to discuss our path of travel, today?"

"We'll need to go to the closest village, first," said Korra. "Their group was small, and there was no sign of an army or larger company waiting for them as they fled. I'd assume the assassins needed to stop for supplies. From there…" She shrugged. "We will have to ask around, a bit."

Jinora smiled and grabbed a cloth to hold the cauldron of water as she tipped its contents into a mug. "I might be able to help with the asking, once we get to the village."

"Are you going to do magic?" Bolin asked. His eyes lit up as he held out his own mug and Jinora poured water for him.

Jinora smiled. "Perhaps a small amount," she said.

"I've never seen someone work magic," Bolin said. He stared wistfully into the fire.

"It's not much to look at," said Kai. Korra looked up to see Kai and Mako had emerged from their tent as well.

"So she's not going to summon a fireball or...oh! Turn me into something!" Bolin stared expectantly at Jinora. Mako rolled his eyes at his brother.

Jinora shook her head. "It doesn't work like that." She paused a moment before continuing. "Most people have heard stories of grand battles of mages, but in reality only a few of us possess that kind of power. It is found more often in the smaller things around us." She lifted her mug and sipped the tea. "Like a well-brewed tea from a tin mug."

"Sounds boring," said Mako, reaching for his own mug. When he sipped from it, Korra watched the stress lines lessen from his face. She took some of the tea for herself.

"We don't have much farther to the village," she said. She avoided meeting Asami's gaze. "We can worry about tracking Zaheer once we get there."

"Do we have a plan for when we find him?" Asami asked.

Korra clenched her fists. She didn't want to think about that part of the mission. "Yes." Asami didn't press any further and Korra was grateful that she had dropped the subject.

After breakfast, they disassembled camp and rode out once more. She watched the rolling green hills pass them as they traveled. They didn't encounter many people on the road, though no one would be travelling much with news of the assassination. Still, Korra kept a watchful eye for any bandits or Red Lotus that might be lying in wait.

A little past noon, they arrived at the village of Half-moon Hill, a small outpost of Tonraq's kingdom rather than an established community. Korra remembered arriving at Half-moon Hill in the midst of the trade season and not being able to see the other end of the market. People could swell the streets, depending on the time of year. Currently, the muddy roads were desolate, abandoned. The overcast day did not help in lending a gloomy air to the village.

"Well, if someone saw him, it won't take long to find out," said Mako.

Korra nodded. "There aren't many people that come through this way during the tourney. If they had fled before or after, we might not have been as fortunate." She led them to the stables, where they paid to have their horses and wagon kept while they explored the village. Once she dismounted, she moved to help everyone out of the wagon. Jinora stepped down, and she offered a hand to Asami. "My lady," she said.

A slight flush crawled up Asami's cheeks. She took Korra's hand and stepped down. "Thank you," she said.

Korra nodded, releasing her hand. "Of course."

"I suggest starting at the inn," said Mako, causing Asami to step away. Korra sighed and turned to the other knight.

"Sounds good," she said.

"I'm going to head to the market with Jinora, there are a few things I'd like to buy for the journey," Asami said.

Korra bit her lip. "Be careful. It's not likely they're around here anymore, but…"

"I know." Asami gave her a reassuring smile.

The inn was not any more crowded than the streets. Korra frowned at the sight of the nearly empty room. The innkeeper stood behind a counter, reading a book rather than tending to his duties. Only one other person occupied the room, an older woman hunched over a table in the corner of the room. "Can I help you?" the innkeeper asked. He did not take his eyes off his book.

"We're looking for someone," said Korra. "A small group, actually. They would have been easy to notice: a bald man, a woman with a tattoo on her forehead…" She paused, waiting to see if those descriptions sunk in.

The innkeeper frowned and shut his book. His eyes widened as recognition spread across his face. "Knight-Commander!" She wasn't certain if the man was in awe of her, or terrified.

"Please, just answer the question," Mako said from beside her.

"They did not stay at the inn, if they came through here," he said. He nodded to the woman in the corner. "Lin would know if they came to town, though. She's the local law enforcement."

_Lin_. Korra was more than familiar with the guard captain. She had not seen her in town lately. _So this is where you lost yourself_. "We'll just ask her, then." Korra still fished out a coin to give the innkeeper, despite his lack of information. Slowly, Korra turned to the woman in the corner.

She sat hunched over a mug, her dark coat pulled tightly around her with the collar turned up, barely covering the twin scars carved into her right cheek. Any passerby might mistake her for a lonely drunk, but Korra knew better. She glanced over at them, flicking her steel-grey hair from her eyes and nodding for Korra to approach. She took a step closer. "Knight-Commander," Lin said. She gestured at her table. "There is room for you and your company, if you plan to stay a while."

Korra took that as her cue to approach the table and sit down. "It's good to see you, Captain." She scooted aside for the others to pull up chairs. "You remember Mako and Bolin." She nodded at the knights.

"Hello!" Bolin greeted loudly.

"How could I forget?" Lin asked dryly. She looked at Kai. "I see you've assembled quite the diverse team. Smart choice, using a small group to chase down Zaheer."

"Did you see him come through here?" Korra asked. She motioned for the innkeeper to bring them over more drinks.

Lin shook her head. "His team did not come very close to the village, but it would not help you any even if they did. There aren't enough eyes or ears around here to get a sense of where they might be." The innkeeper brought over the mugs sloshing with drinks. Lin shooed him away with a wave of her hand. "You need more troops, but an army will slow you down."

"Do you have a suggestion, Captain?" Mako asked.

"You need people, Knight-Commander. You need an army's worth of people trained in the art of watching and listening." Lin took a sip from her drink. "As much as I hate to admit it, you need the spymaster."

"The who?" Bolin asked.

Lin frowned, her brows pulling together in a tightly knit scowl. "My sister, Suyin. She'll know exactly where to find Zaheer, or where to start looking, at least. She'll get you closer than any investigation you plan to make yourself, Knight-Commander." After a pause, she added, "No offense."

Korra shrugged. "I know my own faults." When she heard an exaggerated sigh from Mako, she shot him a glare. "I said I know them, not that I fixed them." She turned back to Lin. "We'll need to know how to reach her. Is it a quick journey?"

* * *

"It hasn't exactly been a long journey, yet, but I've already noticed some essentials

missing from the supplies," Asami remarked as they stopped at a fruit stand. She picked up an apple and turned it over. "It makes me wonder how well Korra ever packs for her journeys."

Jinora laughed. "I wouldn't know. This is the first one I've been allowed to go on as well."

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to pick up a few more things." Asami paid for the apple and slipped it into her bag. "I'll want to look at their selection of fabrics, too."

With a nod, Jinora followed her as they continued browsing the stalls. Finally, she asked, "So, did you and Korra have a good conversation last night?"

Asami's smile faltered. She knew Jinora would bring it up eventually. She had hoped to last a little longer. "We talked," she said, knowing it was not a satisfactory answer. She looked at the ground, instead, watching her boots scuff the dirt road. "Korra doesn't know what she wants." She remembered their conversation with full clarity. She remembered how frightened Korra sounded. "She doesn't want to rush into anything, not while we're on a mission. She's asked...that she be allowed some time." She felt a warm hand on her shoulder and smiled at Jinora.

"She's scared, that's all," Jinora said. "This whole week has been so traumatic. Give her some time to adjust." With a shrug, Jinora added, "She cares for you, that much is plainly evident. I would not be surprised if Korra back to her old self within the week."

Asami nodded, but stopped at one of the market stands. She reached out for a spool of fabric and rubbed the cloth between her fingers. "How much for this?" she asked the shopkeeper.

The woman quoted her a price and Asami haggled down to a more reasonable sum. She handed over the coin and picked up the bolt of fabric. "You need all of it?" Jinora asked.

Asami nodded. "I'm still working on something to help people glide down from heights. I...haven't managed to make it work quite the way I want."

"Something to keep you busy?" Jinora asked.

Asami sighed. "Well, until they break something, or the horse throws a shoe, I'm fairly useless. It does give me time to work on this, and some other ideas that I've been tossing around." There were a few new armor designs she had been wanting to work on, but with the tournament and the impending war, she had been too busy helping her father to work on anything of her own.

Jinora made a face. "Just as long as you don't recruit me to test them out."

Asami laughed. "You don't need to worry about that. That's what Korra is for."

* * *

A/N and another chapter done. We also managed a Conflict Resolution update today as well, so make sure to check that out! As usual I will be streaming on Friday at 5pm Pacific time on the twitch channel Luraline. Please come by and say hello and hang out with all the lovely people. ~Sy


	12. Chapter 12

Asami decided that she preferred riding with Jinora in the wagon rather than attempting to make small talk with Korra on horseback. With their feelings very much still out in the open, it made things more difficult to ride behind her astride Naga. Now, if she wrapped her arms around Korra's middle and rested her face into her back, they both knew it was not a fear of riding that made her hold tight. And after a few days on the road to Zaofu, they had yet to talk any further on what they planned to do about their feelings.

With a sigh, Asami leaned against Jinora. "It's not fair," she groaned, watching Korra's shoulders shift with every step her horse. "It's been three days, how long does she need?"

Jinora laughed and leaned back against her. They rode alongside Kai, who was learning how to handle the reins. "I'd guess you consider her worth the wait, or you'd be pining over someone else by now."

"Thank you for that vote of confidence," said Asami. She frowned and went back to watching Korra ride. Sleeping at night was the hardest part, knowing that Korra was only a few feet away, and then remembering that Jinora was in their tent as well, putting a halt to any fantasies she managed to briefly entertain.

"Not that I don't enjoy our conversations," Jinora began, "but I think we've spent the better part of this journey observing Korra's backside and making idle chatter about it. You should really do something about this. I fear Kai might grow jealous."

"What?" the young man asked. He turned in his seat and grinned over at them. "Are you kidding? This is hilarious. How else am I going to amuse myself on this trip?" He looked forward with a grin. "Besides, I think I've discovered quite a few new clever descriptors for Knight-Commander's various body parts."

"Descriptors that she'll never hear if you want to live," said Asami.

"Kai, be kind," Jinora said. "I promise it's in your best interests."

Kai and kept his eyes on the road. "Of course, my lady."

Asami groaned as she caught sight of Korra again. Even though she wore her armor as they rode, Asami still remembered how her body felt when it pressed close against her. "Is it possible to be so angry at someone and smitten by them all at once?"

"It's not as if Korra doesn't know about how you feel. The two of you could just talk this out." Jinora had suggested this more than once. This particular conversation had become one of the ways they idly passed time.

"Korra would rather suffer quietly until she can't remember if I actually do feel anything for her." Asami grinned. "And talking with Korra is about as effective as having a conversation with a tree. Perhaps I should just talk to her next time wearing nothing but a smithing apron. She'd listen then."

"I don't think she would," Jinora said, laughing despite the blush crawling up her cheeks. Kai began laughing so hard that he started coughing.

Korra looked back at them. "Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Fine!" the three of them called back. With a nod, Korra turned to Mako and Bolin and continued whatever conversation they were having.

"What do you suppose those three talk about all day?" Asami asked.

"Maybe the same stuff we talk about," said Kai with a shrug.

Asami laughed. "Korra would never. She's too noble."

* * *

Korra turned her attention back to Bolin. "What do you think they were talking about?"

Bolin smiled and shrugged. "Well, if our conversation is any indication, they're probably talking about you."

"Me?"

"Don't act so surprised." Mako glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "We finished talking about our battle plans ages ago, after that all you talked about was Asami."

Korra frowned and anxiously shifted in her saddle. "Well if you didn't like the topic, you could have said so."

Bolin laughed. "And why would we do that? If it weren't for the mounting tension between you, it'd be cute."

"Cute?" Korra asked, a scowl settling on her lips. She leaned over Naga and patted the horse gently. "I'm not cute, right girl?" When she looked up again, she caught both knights staring at her. "Well?"

Mako blushed and cleared his throat. "Not at all, Knight-Commander." He went back to staring at the road. "But it seems unfair to shut Asami out if you're going to spend every day talking about her."

Korra chose not to reply, and focused on the road once again. As the reached the crest of the next hill, she spotted a small caravan further along the road. "What could that be?" she asked, raising a hand to shadow her eyes from the sun. It was a group of no more than ten people, if she had to guess. Their two large wagons had been pulled to the side of the road.

"Perhaps they had an accident?" Bolin asked. "That horse doesn't look too happy." He pointed to one of the mares that had been unhitched from the wagons. The horse paced nervously and backed away from anyone that tried to approach it.

"Pay attention, everyone," Korra called back to the wagon. "There appears to be a group of travelers on the road."

"Where?" Jinora asked. Kai pointed out the group ahead, and Korra looked toward the caravan again. This was the first group of travelers they had seen. Anyone to pass them before had been a single rider, a messenger racing information between kingdoms.

"What are they doing out here?" Mako asked.

Bolin shrugged. "Well, we could always stop and ask. And if they're in trouble, it's our knightly duty to help!"

Mako groaned and Korra rolled her eyes. "We do have urgent business. We'll stop to make sure it's not an emergency, nothing more."

"Knight-Commander, it might be a trap," Mako interjected.

Korra shook her head. "I doubt it. Zaheer seems to be targeting nobility and royalty, not peasants."

"Knight-Commander, I think that they might be Nomads," Jinora said.

"Nomads? You mean fellow mages?" Korra asked.

"Well it is likely that not everyone there is gifted with magic, but yes. My father used to travel around the world before he settled down with my mother. He's told me many stories of his travels in caravans such as these," Jinora continued.

"Maybe they'd have information about Zaheer?" Asami suggested.

"Fine, but we should approach carefully," Korra said at last. As they drew closer, the caravaners waved at them. A young woman walked forward to greet them, her dark hair and deep green eyes somehow looked familiar to Korra.

"Greetings!" she called.

"Greetings," Korra called back. "I am Knight-Commander Korra of the Water Kingdom."

"Knight-Commander, I am Opal, newest member of this caravan of Nomads."

"Are you in need of assistance?" Korra glanced at the other people milling around the wagons. They had stopped what they were doing and regarded her curiously.

"One of our horses has thrown a shoe." Opal gestured toward the horse that tugged against its handler's reins.

"I could help with that," Asami said from behind Korra.

"I don't know that we have time to stop and-" Korra began.

"We can't just leave them here," Asami interrupted. "They'd be an easy target for bandits. Please Korra, it's a simple thing, I'll just need to get a fire going."

Korra shook her head. "Asami we need to intercept Zaheer before-"

"Zaheer?" Opal interjected. "Big, scary bald man with a scar just here?" Opal traced a finger across her left eyebrow.

"You've seen him?" Korra asked.

Opal nodded back along the road. "We passed him and his group when we left Zaofu. Why?"

"Were they headed to Zaofu?" Mako asked.

"I don't know, they didn't really seem interested in stopping to talk with us." Opal frowned. "Is Zaofu in danger? My family lives there."

"We don't really know for sure," Korra said. "But that's where we were headed."

Asami climbed down from the wagon. "Korra, let me help them with their horse. You can use the time to ask about Zaheer. I think our team could use a rest anyways."

"We're so tired!" Kai called out. Korra glared at him and he laughed nervously. "Not that I would ever challenge your authority, Knight-Commander."

Korra snorted and shook her head. "All right. We'll stop as long as it takes for you to help with the horse's...shoe." She dismounted, taking Naga's reins in her hands. "But we can't linger too long, not if Zaheer is already past Zaofu."

Asami gave Korra a mock curtsey. "Then I shall work swiftly, Knight-Commander." She walked away, leaving Korra with the sinking feeling she had done something wrong. With a sigh, she began unpacking the equipment to set up camp for the evening. She was grateful to take her armor off at last and changed into a clean shirt and pants. She took her time organizing their supplies in order to put off her inevitable talk with Asami. Finally, she could put it off no longer and she headed to the edge of the camp where a large fire was burning.

* * *

The biggest struggle of fixing the horseshoe was keeping a hot enough fire going. She turned her face from the rising flames. Without a proper forge to channel the heat, nothing shielded her from the flame. Asami looked up from her work when she heard the sounds of footsteps. Korra hesitated a fair distance away.

"I thought maybe I could lend a hand?" Korra offered.

Asami nodded as she repositioned the shoe in the fire. "If you could chop the firewood I could focus on smithing."

"No problem." Korra walked over to the stump with an ax lodged in it. "It'll feel good to swing this around."

Asami glanced up from her work. She immediately regretted it. Korra stood with the ax in her grip, the sleeveless shirt she wore revealing well-defined muscles. "Feeling anxious?" she asked.

"Just...restless." Korra swung the ax, neatly splitting the wood in two.

Asami looked away. "Because of Zaheer?"

"Yes." Korra swung again. "But...also because of you...or us, I guess."

"Are you ready to talk about it?" Asami asked. _Just concentrate on the fire. You'll ruin the shoe if you gawk at her muscles._

She grunted as she hefted the ax again. She could avoid looking, but nothing could block out the soft noises Korra made as she worked. Asami swallowed and shook her head. Korra spoke, "This is probably the only time we're going to have alone, so we should."

"You want to start? or should I?"

Korra paused. She worked silently, save for the small sounds she made every time she swung the ax. Finally, she said, "I'm sorry."

Asami laughed. Korra had muttered the word so softly that Asami wondered if she feared someone might overhear. "What was that? I'm not sure I heard you right, it sounded like 'I'm sorry.'"

"Asami…" Korra sighed. "I guess I deserved that."

She pulled the horseshoe from the fire and examined it closely before placing it back in the heat. "No, I'm sorry. I'm just so frustrated."

"Frustrated?"

"Korra I've had feelings for you for years. Then, when it finally seemed like you returned them, it's snatched away from me."

"Years?" She could feel Korra staring. "I had no idea."

Asami smiled. "I know." She turned back to her work. "I just want to give us a chance, Korra."

"Even if it ends badly?"

Asami shook her head. "Should the fear of what might happen keep us from something wonderful?"

"I would never forgive myself if I hurt you Asami."

"No one goes through life without hurting anyone. All we can do is recognize when it happens and try to work through it."

"And that's what you want?"

"I want to try, Korra." Asami hesitated. "Do you?"

"I don't know what I can give you, if I can give anything," Korra said. "I want to take things slowly, I want to do this right. You deserve someone to court you properly."

"Korra, we can go as slow as you'd like. I'm honestly just happy you're speaking to me again." Asami walked to Korra and gathered a bundle of wood to put on the fire. Korra paused her work. "Thanks again, Korra, for helping me with all the firewood."

Korra looked up. "Oh yeah, no problem." She lifted the bottom of her shirt to wipe off her face, revealing her firm stomach. "It's really not a problem." the words were muffled by her shirt.

Asami knew she was staring. Her eyes followed the lines of the well-defined muscles. "No, it's a huge...um..." The logs she held slipped from her grasp and tumbled to the ground. _Spirits help me. _

"Asami. are you okay?" Korra asked.

"Fine." Asami took a deep breath to collect herself. "I'm fine." The smug smile on Korra's face was almost too much for Asami to take. She picked up the logs and carried them back over to the fire, carefully adding them to the pile. _If that's how you want to be._ Asami wiped her brow and took a moment to loosen the ties on the neck of her shirt, revealing a little more cleavage. She could feel Korra staring at her as she leaned over the horseshoe to work.

"Asami…" Korra's voice sounded strained. She looked up to meet her darkened eyes. She wanted to drop what she was doing and pull Korra into the kiss she had been longing for, but the sound of footsteps reminded her of where they were. Kai jogged into view.

"Guys, come on, you're going to be late for dinner," he said. Asami sighed and offered Korra a smile. _I guess we'll have to continue this later._

* * *

**A/N: **Thank you, everyone, for your support of this story. We love the fan art and the comments that everyone leaves. You might recognize part of this chapter from one of Ozkit's headcanon sketches from early on. We had to incorporate it eventually! And speaking of Ozkit, go check out that tumblr blog for some fantastic illustrations to accompany the story!

As always, we stream every Friday at 5 pm pacific time. Join us at the twitch channel Luraline!


	13. Chapter 13

Korra and Asami made their way through the campsite to where the Nomads had built a fire. Most of them were already seated with their stew. Korra filled her own bowl and sat down on a bench close to the fire. She wasn't cold, far from it, but she hoped the flames would hide her flushed complexion from Mako and Bolin. When Asami sat beside her, Korra was not certain if she was grateful or terrified. Being in close proximity seemed to be having adverse effects on her lately.

"So you're a knight?" Opal asked. "Is it exciting?"

Korra looked up from her bowl. "Exciting isn't really how I'd describe it." _Terrifying, painful, and dangerous maybe._

"I bet you have lots of adventures," one of the other nomads spoke up.

Korra shifted uncomfortably. "It's not that glamorous. I have to ride out and solve disputes, go on long rides in awful weather, I'm regularly shot at -"

"Come on now Knight-Commander, I know for a fact that you have some stories." Bolin shook his spoon in her direction.

Korra sighed. "Bolin, I don't want to tell any stories." This was something she had always hated. Many of the knights and soldiers loved to tell their stories of heroic deeds or close calls, but Korra had never seen the appeal. Why would you brag about killing someone? However, it didn't seem that Bolin picked up on her lack of enthusiasm.

He grinned. "Then I'll do it for you." Bolin cleared his throat and stood up. "When our Knight-Commander here was still a regular old knight like the rest of us, we were sent on a mission to disperse a group of peasants calling themselves 'Equalists.' When we arrived, it became clear that it was no mere dispute. It was an uprising."

Korra looked back down at her bowl. _Why did he have to tell this story?_ She didn't want to remember the time they'd spent dealing with the so called Equalists. It was the first time that Korra realized how the peasants really felt about her. While they mostly adored her father, they seemed to think that Korra was a dumb thug who only earned her knighthood because her father was king. Never mind that she had gone through the same training, and rituals as everyone else.

"They had a leader called Amon." Bolin continued. "On the surface his ideals seemed innocent enough, he wanted peasants to be treated equally, to provide a better life for the poor. But when we looked further into it, we discovered that he really just wanted power for himself. He was planning to take down anyone with authority." He paused dramatically. "Korra decided that we should go undercover to one of the meetings and expose him for what he really was. A huge fight broke out among the citizens and the soldiers in Amon's small army. Korra went after Amon. Mako and I helped the citizens get to safety. We were both outside and trying to get people clear of the building when we hear a crash and Amon comes flying through the wooden shutters of the top floor of the building."

Korra closed her eyes against the memory. She'd tried to reason with him, tried to get him to come with her peacefully, but in the end she'd had to take him down. She still remembered the wild look in his eyes as he fell and how the scream was cut short when he hit the ground. _No one deserves to die like that._ It had been so different than when she'd been on a battlefield. During war, there's so much going on. If you're not fighting, you're dead. There's not a choice. This was her against another person. She wasn't fighting for her life, she was fighting to end his. There was a difference between the two, and it ate at her. She felt a warm hand on her arm and she opened her eyes.

"Korra?" Asami murmured. "Do you want to take a walk?"

"I...yes." She set her bowl aside and stood up. "If you all don't mind, I need to…"

"Go ahead," said Mako. He nudged his brother. "Why don't you talk about the bandits you went up against last month?"

Korra flashed Mako a grateful smile before turning away. She felt Asami's hand on her arm, guiding her away from the campfire. They walked off the roadside, the last of the twilight glow of sunset lighting their path. "It's hard, isn't it?" Asami asked.

Korra nodded. "It's harder to let them know that, though. I suppose Mako knows. I mean, he and I used to…" She hesitated. "It got harder to be there for me after the civil war. He had his own demons, by then." She took a deep breath. The crisp night air kept her mind from wandering any further back into those memories.

"I can't imagine what that's like," said Asami. Korra felt her hand trace down her arm and take hold of her hand. "But I want to help, if I can."

Korra looked down at their hands. Asami gently traced her thumb along her index finger. "You do help, more than you probably realize." She led them further off the path and toward a tree. She leaned against the trunk and pulled Asami close, allowing them to rest in one another's arms, inches separating them. She looked up at Asami, her features barely visible in the fading light. "I don't...I don't want to lose this." Asami opened her mouth to speak but Korra pressed on. "And you can't promise that I won't." She laughed when Asami frowned.

"Am I so easy to read, Knight-Commander?" The way Asami looked at her was something she wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

"If you were a text, I'd say I'm only beginning to decipher it." Korra let out a sigh. There was something peaceful about standing in Asami's arms. Everything felt...safe.

"Decipher? I'd think I'm rather straightforward." A smile returned to her lips.

Korra shook her head. "When I stop to think about it, I realize there is little I actually know about you."

Asami raised a brow. "I don't know about that. We've been friends for so long now."

Korra nodded. "It's just...I feel like I wasn't paying attention or maybe, I wasn't paying the right _kind_ of attention."

"In what way?" Asami's hands slid from her arms to her sides. Korra shivered from the sudden warmth that spread through her.

"I want to court you, Asami. I want to give you gifts and take you on dates…" Korra sighed and leaned forward resting her head against Asami's shoulder. "And we're on a mission to track and apprehend a dangerous assassin. Even if we weren't in the middle of nowhere, it occurs to me I wouldn't know what to do."

"You managed just fine when you took me to the tournament," Asami murmured.

"That was different…" Korra protested.

"Why?" Asami's hand slid across Korra's back in small soothing circles.

Korra leaned back in the embrace. "Because we weren't courting then!" Her eyes widened. She hadn't meant to say that.

Asami raised a brow. "Are we now?"

Korra bit her lip. "Yes?"

"You don't sound too sure of yourself Knight-Commander." The grin that crossed Asami's lips only made her blush further.

"I...I'm still trying to piece some things together, alright?" Korra sighed and let Asami embrace her more fully. The initial panic over her feelings toward Asami had been replaced with other emotions. Her stomach knotted and her jaw felt tight. She did not know what to do. What would be the responsible thing to do? Technically if they were courting, they shouldn't be alone like this. There were protocols for this kind of thing. Was she supposed to just ignore those? Asami seemed to think so.

"You're allowed to be uncertain," Asami said, her voice soft. The sound made Korra sigh and bury her face in Asami's neck. Even this action caused a conflicting response.

Finally, she pulled away. "Thank you for understanding, then," she said. She nodded back toward the camp. "I think I need to go lie down for the night." She watched Asami take a step back and sigh. The way she crossed her arms, the furrow of her brow, it spoke of pain. Korra knew she was the cause of it, and she knew she would only cause more on this journey, no matter what she did. "You never know what will happen. Perhaps I shall fetch you some flowers tomorrow, my lady," she teased. This, at least, caused Asami to smile. She took Asami's hand in her own. "Will you walk back with me?"

"Of course, Korra."

In the hushed shrill of night, she hardly heard the break in Asami's voice.

* * *

The next day, Korra expected they would be on their way without any further delays. One of the nomads, Opal, approached them as they packed. "Knight-Commander, may I have a moment of your time?"

Korra glanced up from the pack she tied off and nodded. "What is it?"

"I wanted to let you know I'm travelling back to Zaofu with you," she said. Korra nearly dropped the pack as she hefted it into the wagon. "If Zaheer is as dangerous as you all have described him, I want to rejoin my family and help ensure their safety."

"That's really not necessary," said Korra, regaining her balance on the pack. She threw it into the wagon with the other supplies and turned to Opal. "I understand your desire to travel with, but it would be best for everyone if you stayed with the nomads, away from Zaheer. We'll warn your family."

She could tell the young woman was upset with her. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes much like Asami did when she was annoyed.

"If I don't travel with you, I'll be traveling alone, but either way I'm going."

Korra resisted the urge to shout at the girl. "Opal, the mission we're on is a dangerous one, I didn't even want to bring along Jinora and Asami because they're both civilians-"

"Then what's one more?"

Korra tried to quell her anger. "Listen-"

"Isn't it your duty as a knight to escort me, or something?" Opal interrupted.

_Keep your temper in check Korra. _"That's not-"

"I won't get in your way. I even have my own tent." Opal patted the backpack she was carrying.

Korra sighed heavily and pinched her brow. "That's not the point," she growled.

"Well, I'm having a hard time seeing what it is, then." Opal placed her hands on her hips. "I'm a mage, perfectly capable of defending myself, and I have a legitimate reason for wanting to return to Zaofu. I can travel in your company, or I can leave on my own."

Before Korra could reply, Jinora spoke up. "It's probably better to have her come with," she said. Korra turned and glared at her. Jinora pressed on, "There are some differences in spell-casting I wanted to talk to her about, anyways. Journeying together would allow us to do so."

"Do I get to decide _anything_ on the mission I'm in charge of?" Korra asked. She glanced around at her group. None of them said anything. "Yeah, I didn't think so." With a sigh, Korra nodded at the wagon. "Load your stuff in." Jinora hopped down from the wagon and helped Opal load the supplies inside. The two of them immediately began talking animatedly about something Korra could only assume was magic related. She spared a glance at Asami who gave her a sympathetic smile and a shrug. Korra shook her head and mounted Naga. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

A/N I'm so sorry that this is late! Michelle and I had a really busy weekend with Easter and all. But it's here now! Hopefully we'll be on time this weekend. Also, if you're a fan of Republic City Blues on AO3, I'm doing a little scene from it for Beech27. If you haven't read Republic City Blues, what are you doing with your life? Go read!

As always we'll be streaming this Friday at 5 pm pacific time. Just a heads up that I WILL NOT BE STREAMING ON APRIL 17th I will be mentioning this several times but I want to give you ample notice.


	14. Chapter 14

Asami sighed and urged Bolin's horse up beside Korra. Earlier in the day, Bolin had fallen, claiming a sprained ankle. Jinora took over the wagon team, and Asami had been talked into riding Bolin's horse. She still wasn't sure how they'd convinced her to do that. Asami glanced over her shoulder. Bolin was leaning in close to whisper something in Opal's ear. Asami glared, but he was too absorbed to notice.

"You didn't have to do this," Korra said softly.

Asami turned to Korra and raised a brow. "Do what?"

"Ride his horse." Korra finally turned to meet her gaze. "We should have just tied it to the wagon."

Asami shook her head. "Honestly, I was just trying to remember how exactly he'd talked me into this."

Korra shrugged. "I was surprised you agreed. I had always assumed you hated horseback riding."

Asami raised a brow and leaned over in the saddle. "Why?"

"Well, when you rode with me on Naga you always…" Korra's eyes widened with realization. "Ancestors, you…it was on purpose?"

Asami blushed and laughed. "Well, there'd be no point in denying it now." She smiled. "You mean to tell me you didn't do anything to try to impress me?"

Korra ran a hand through her hair and chuckled. "Well, I mean…"

"What?"

Asami could see Korra's cheeks color. "I knew you watched me practice my swordplay sometimes and, well…I'll admit that I might have showed off a bit when I knew you were there. I didn't think to question why I did it."

"Maybe you weren't as oblivious as I'd originally thought."

Korra's smile fell. "It's difficult." She was quiet for a moment before she continued. "It didn't occur to me because…I didn't think it was possible."

A sliver of panic shot through her. "To be with a woman?" It was a stupid thought, really, but it had been something Asami worried about from time to time. Korra had only been with men, and so the very real fear that Asami simply would not interest her plagued her thoughts from time to time. She held her breath as she waited for an answer.

Korra shook her head. "To be with you."

Asami wished they weren't on horseback riding through rice fields, and instead were alone. "Why would that be so impossible?"

Korra gave her a sad smile. "You always were so focused on your work. The only time I really got to see you was when you needed me for testing your inventions."

She wanted to take Korra's hand, but could not. Instead, she clutched her reins tighter. "I would have sought you out more, but I didn't know if the attention was welcomed. Now that I know it is, maybe I can find more excuses to be in the castle."

Korra smirked. "Maybe I can dent my armor more often?"

Asami glared. "You'd better not. That armor is supposed to protect you because…" Asami sighed.

"Because?"

"It's silly, but…" Asami gave a half-hearted shrug. "I can't be on the battlefield with you, but at least when I'm making your armor, I can feel like I'm protecting you."

Korra's expression softened. "I think I can understand that." She reached up to the collar of her armor and seemed to struggle a moment. Asami smiled when she recognized her favor around Korra's neck. "And before you ask, it does make me feel protected." Asami laughed and felt a weight left from her. She was glad that they'd been able to move past the strange awkward tension that had settled on them since the tournament. As the day wore on and turned to evening, Asami hoped that this was a sign of good things to come.

* * *

Korra tried not to let Opal's presence make her too grumpy. She had hoped that after spending the whole day with her, Bolin might have gotten it out of his system, but they had set up camp and Bolin was practically glued to her side. He had been throwing himself at her all night. She desperately wanted Asami to come over and talk to her, like she had during the ride, but Asami said she had to work on something and Korra hadn't seen her since they made camp. Bolin laughed loudly at something Opal said. She rolled her eyes and focused on eating her food.

"Okay, so you have how many brothers?" Bolin asked.

Opal smiled. "Four."

Bolin sighed wistfully. "That would be so cool."

"One's not enough for you?" Mako asked.

"Maybe if I had four brothers, I would have ended up with at least one that had a personality." Bolin grinned at Mako's frown.

"It's nice to have a big family, but I don't get to see my extended family very often." Opal's smile fell.

"Do they not live in Zaofu?"

"My grandma is a little…eccentric. Last I heard she was living in a swamp somewhere. I have an aunt as well, but she left to try and advance her military career. I've never actually met her."

"Ooh, anyone famous? Have we heard of her?"

"I doubt it, Beifong isn't a famous name."

Korra nearly dropped her bowl. _Ancestors, she's a Beifong? As in Lin Beifong? As in Su Beifong? _She shot a look at Bolin, who looked just as surprised. She cleared her throat to get his attention. "Bolin, I need to talk to you for a minute."

He glanced over at her, a tentative smile tugging at his lips. "Uh, sure Knight-Commander." He followed Korra over to the side of the campsite. Once they were out of earshot, Korra rounded on him.

He smoothed a hand through his hair. "Knight-Commander?"

She crossed her arms. "Bolin, I know that you like her, but for once I need you to keep it in your pants."

He gasped and clutched at his heart as if she had wounded him. "I'm insulted that you'd even–"

Korra narrowed her eyes. "Eska?"

Bolin lost a little of his bravado. "T-that was a misunder-"

Korra raised her eyebrows. "Ginger?"

Bolin pouted. "That's not fair."

Korra shrugged. "Maybe I should just mention to Asami what happened that summer when we were fifteen."

The color drained from his face. "You wouldn't."

"I would." She poked his shoulder. "Just remember that. I am not going to be the one to go to Su or, ancestors help me, Lin Beifong and explain to them how one of my knights had a tryst with their youngest."

Bolin sighed. "You've made your point."

Korra nodded, satisfied with the answer. They both headed back to camp.

"Everything alright?" Opal asked.

"Oh yes, Korra just gave me a brilliant idea." Something about the upbeat tone in his voice felt off. Bolin knelt at Opals side. "I've been monopolizing your time and that is unfair of me. You should spend some time talking about magic with Jinora."

Jinora looked up from a book she was reading. "What?"

"Korra mentioned how you'd be all alone in that tent of yours, I just thought it'd be great if you and Jinora were to share your tent." He smiled over at Korra but there was mischief hidden behind it.

_What?_ Korra glanced at Bolin, confused.

"That does sound kind of fun," Jinora said. "I only ever get to hang out with my sister and she gets on my nerves."

"I've never had a sister." Opal smiled. "I'd love to."

Bolin grinned broadly and clapped his hands together. "It's settled then. Mako, Kai, and I will still share the man tent. Jinora can share Opal's tent…" he tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I guess that just leaves you and Asami." Korra's eyes widened. _That little shit, I'm going to kill him._ She had every intention of grabbing Bolin by the throat and shaking him until he stopped talking, but she saw movement out of the corner of her eye.

"What about me?" Asami asked. She had a large bag slung over her shoulder.

"Just going over the sleeping arrangements." Bolin gave Asami a smile.

"Have they changed?" Asami's gaze flickered to Korra's, looking for some clarification.

Korra couldn't make her mouth form words. _I'm going to be sleeping next to Asami, alone._

Mako sighed and cleaned out his bowl. "Opal and Jinora are going to share a tent and have magic bonding time," he said.

"Alright then, but why would…" Asami's words faded. She looked back at Korra, this time with understanding. "Oh…"

"Well." Bolin gave an exaggerated stretch. "It's time for me to hit the hay!" He headed for the tent and motioned for Mako to follow. Mako shook his head but followed his brother. Just before Bolin entered the tent, he shot a wink at Korra. Korra closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. _This isn't happening to me. My entire company is not trying to get me laid._

"Opal, you were telling me about a technique your grandmother used?" Jinora said. The two girls chatted as they headed over to their respective tent.

Kai hesitated before leaving. "Knight-Commander?"

"Yes, Kai?" Korra opened her eyes and looked at her squire.

He scratched the back of his head. "If it would make you feel better, I could find some spiders to put in Bolin's sleeping roll."

Korra smiled. "It would, thanks Kai."

Kai gave her a big grin and headed into the trees likely to look for spiders. Reluctantly, Korra met Asami's gaze. She took a deep breath. _Now what?_

* * *

Asami stared at the dying embers. Korra had already retreated to their tent and Asami knew she was stalling. _We've been sharing a tent this whole time, this isn't any different. _She knew that wasn't really true. Jinora had always taken the middle of the tent, making sure that Korra and Asami were never in close proximity. It was easy to use Jinora's presence as a reason to keep from any kind of romantic activities. Now they wouldn't really have an excuse. Asami closed her eyes and tried to calm her heart. _Alright, you can do this. You're an adult and you can behave yourself._

She walked over to the tent and ducked inside. Korra knelt over her pack, looking for something. She had stripped out of her tunic, Asami forgot to breathe at the sight of Korra's naked back. Finally, she managed a gasp and quickly averted her eyes.

"Sorry…" Asami muttered. She moved to her side of the tent and faced the canvas as she took off her boots.

"I'm just trying to find a clean shirt," Korra said. There was rustling of fabric and Asami focused on taking out her hairpins. _Don't think about her naked. Stop it. _ "You can turn around now."

Asami shifted so that she could look at Korra. She stood in a loose tunic and pants. It wasn't as if she had never seen Korra wearing just her tunic and pants, but this felt new. She wondered if it was because of the way Korra was looking at her. The tent felt stifling and her mouth was dry. She wanted to kiss Korra, but Korra had been so hesitant and she had promised to be patient. The ride this morning was the first time since the tournament that things felt normal again, she didn't want to jeopardize that just because she couldn't maintain self-control.

"So…" Asami began. "Tomorrow, are we going to kill Bolin or thank him?"

Korra's lips formed something resembling a grin. "I haven't decided yet."

"I want you to know that I don't…" Asami paused to choose her words. "I don't expect anything to happen. If you just want to roll over and go to bed, then that's fine." She shifted closer to Korra and took her hand.

Korra laced their fingers together. "Is that what you want?" Korra asked.

"I'd be lying if I said yes," Asami admitted. "But I can wait."

Korra met Asami's eyes and she was having trouble breathing again. "Then you're a stronger woman than I." The weight of Korra's words settled over her slowly. Korra's free hand moved up and cupped Asami's cheek. "I have been tormented by these lips for so long…" Her thumb brushed across Asami's lower lip. "If this isn't what you want, tell me now while I still have command over my actions." The words were soft and Asami could barely hear them over the pounding of her heart. Korra's eyes were dark but seemed to burn into her. She had thought about this moment so often, planned out what to say, what to do. Now that it was happening she was paralyzed. She licked her lips, trying to provoke them into speaking. She watched Korra's gaze dart down to the movement. She could see the rise and fall of Korra's chest, could hear each shallow breath.

She wanted to kiss Korra. She would have, but Korra looked toward the tent flap and muttered, "Someone's outside."

_No, you have got to be kidding me. _Asami strained to hear the faint sounds of footsteps. "It's probably Kai coming back from the woods." She wanted to go back to the moment that had just been shattered.

"It's too loud for Kai," Korra's voice dropped to a murmur. "And too soft for the boys."

"Korra," Asami squeezed Korra's hand. "What should we do."

"Run."

* * *

A/N It's late! I know, I KNOW. I'm sorry but I have very good reasons:

1) Finals are coming up for me  
2) Our wedding is coming up (yes we're already married but the ceremony is going to be in May, it's complicated)  
3) Michelle is finishing a manuscript  
4) We've started working out to be healthy

So pick one of those things as the reason. Also: FOR FUCKS SAKE WE ARE NOT ENDING CONFLICT RESOLUTION YET. It's just taking us a lot of effort to do this one, and we're getting to Conflict when we can.  
~Sy


	15. Chapter 15

Asami watched as Korra crouched and moved to the tent flap. She tried to keep quiet, but even her breath felt like it was too loud. She vividly recalled the last combat Korra had been in. She remembered Korra's dead weight hanging in her arms, with no idea if she'd ever wake up again. _Spirits guide us._

She placed a hand on Korra's shoulder. Korra glanced back at her and smiled softly. "Would you stay here if I asked you to?" The words were barely audible.

Asami merely shook her head. Korra carefully took her sword from where it lay by her bedroll and turned her attention back to the campsite. "I'm going to try to draw them away, get everyone else up and armed."

Korra darted out of the tent. Asami waited until she heard the fighting break out before she followed suit. In the fading firelight, she could make out the assailants converging on Korra's location. They wore robes of the order of the Red Lotus. Her blood chilled as she remembered the last Red Lotus attack. _Korra can handle herself. Get help. _Asami made her way to the other tent. She didn't even have a chance to say anything before Mako ran out, pulling his sword from his scabbard. Bolin followed after him. Asami remained quiet, hoping they would be able to catch the assassins off guard. She crept toward Jinora and Opal's tent, trying to ignore the sounds of battle. Every cry made her want to flinch.

When she got there, the two had already gotten up. "What's going on out there?" Jinora asked as she pulled her robes on.

"We're under attack," said Asami. "Is there anything you can do to help?"

Jinora nodded and grabbed her staff. "I'll see what I can do," she said.

Asami left the two of them to help in the fight. She rounded on the first assassin she found. They struck out at her, but she ducked low and stepped closer to them, sweeping her leg to bring them down. She saw Mako and Bolin fend off their own adversaries. Frantically she searched for Korra. Her heart dropped when she didn't spot her. "Where's Korra?" she called to the boys.

"I don't know, I thought she was with you," said Bolin.

She caught sight of a familiar body lying face down. "Korra!" she gasped. She ran towards Korra only to be blocked by another assassin. This one struck out with daggers and Asami was forced to back away until she could find an opening. She tried to focus on the fight, and not on the fact that Korra could be bleeding out on the ground behind her.

The errant thought cost her, earning her a cut across her shoulder. She hissed in pain and rushed her assailant, punching them in the chest hard enough to knock them down. Her path now clear, she finally made her way to Korra's side. Carefully, she rolled her over. To her great relief, Korra still breathed.

The assassin she had knocked down got back to their feet, taking a staggering step toward them. Asami pulled Korra closer to her. "Stay back," she growled.

The assassin picked up their daggers from where they had fallen. Asami watched and waited, ready to counter any attack that was coming. The assassin raised their arm, poised to charge, but they never did. They froze in place, perfectly still.

"Asami, get her out of here!" She saw Jinora walk over, staff raised. The assassin struggled to look at her, eyes wide behind their mask. "We'll find you later, I promise. Just get Korra to safety."

Asami pulled Korra up in her arms and carried her over to the horses. She managed to coax Naga into laying down and maneuvered Korra onto Naga's saddle. She mounted up behind her, positioning Korra's slumped frame in between her arms as she grabbed the reins. "Go, Naga," she whispered. Naga struggled for a moment, trying to stand under their combined weight. Then, they took off. Asami kept her head low as branches whipped past them. She needed to find the road. She needed to get Korra help. Suddenly, fire ignited in front of them. Naga whinnied and reared back. Asami tried to hold on, but they both slipped from the saddle. With Korra in her arms, she couldn't roll when she hit the ground. Her head jerked as she struck something hard, and then there was only black.

* * *

Everything hurt. Korra wanted to open her eyes but something was covering them. She tried to reach up and remove it, but discovered her hands were tied. Memories from the fight came back to her. One of the assassins had landed a lucky blow and knocked her unconscious. Judging by the dry ache in her throat, she had been out for a long time.

"Is anyone there?" She croaked. She strained to make out the sound of movement.

"Korra? You're awake?" _Asami._ It was a small relief to hear her voice. She was alive, but captured too.

"What happened?" Korra asked.

"You were hurt. The others told me to take you and run, but we were ambushed. I don't think they're with the Red Lotus though. They seem too disorganized. I think they might be civilians. Their clothes look like Earth Kingdom."

Korra was surprised that Asami had picked up as much information as she had. "How long was I out?"

"I'm not sure, they put a blindfold on us after I knocked out the guards the first time."

"First time?"

"Let's just say they had to add extra restraints to me."

Despite their dire circumstances, Korra chuckled. "I don't suppose you can get out of them again, can you?" She heard the shifting of cloth, the clattering of metal.

"Well, their smith doesn't quite know their way around forging proper cuffs," Asami said. "I was going to wait until you were awake. Do you think you can move all right?"

Korra shifted her arms experimentally. Her head pounded, but nausea did not threaten to overwhelm her. "I think I can, if you can get us out of here," she said, then heard more clanging of metal. When it stopped, she asked, "Asami?"

"I'm here." The voice was near, a hand on her shoulder. "Give me a moment. They put you in shackles, too." She felt Asami's hand trail down her arm. She gave a few gentle tugs against her wrists, and the shackles fell away with a clatter.

"How did you do that?" Korra asked. She began massaging the stiffness out of her wrists. She felt Asami's hands on her face and the blindfold fell away.

"With a little flexibility, anything's possible," she said with a smile. When Korra only stared on, she added, "And I hid some wire in my shirt cuff. With the right pressure, you can pry out of nearly anything, but the locks require a more delicate touch."

Korra looked around at the dark cell. She supposed they were in some sort of makeshift jail. The walls were made of smooth grey stone and the door was set into the rock face. The door was a heavy wooden door, with bars covering the small window. Even at full strength she couldn't break it down. There was small window high up on the wall but it was too small for either of them to fit through. She couldn't see any light coming from it. _Must be night._ "So how are we going to get out of here?" _Maybe it used to be a wine cellar?_

Asami smiled. "You're asking me? The civilian?"

Korra sighed. "Can I do the apology when we aren't being held captive?"

"Fair point." Asami stroked her chin thoughtfully. "We can't count on them being stupid again."

Korra studied the door. "Too bad you can't pick the lock."

Asami took the metal pin from Korra and turned it over in her hands. She looked over at the door. "There may be another way."

"I'm open to any ideas."

"This looks like some kind of basement, or cellar. Thankfully, it's not a jail cell. You can tell because the door hinges are on the inside." She brushed her fingers over the metal hinges. "I think I can use this." She held up the pin from the shackle. "To leverage the pins out of the hinges. But again, the problem is the sound." Asami frowned. "Even if the metal doesn't creak when I remove the pin, once the hinges are removed, I don't think that I can keep the door from clattering to against the wall, or floor. It's too heavy."

Korra shrugged. "It's all we have." She eyed the door, trying to gage it's weight. _Looks like oak, maybe? _"I can try to keep the door from falling."

Asami shook her head. "I think it might take both of us to have enough leverage."

Korra started to nod, but stopped when her head protested. "Together then." They moved to the side of the door. Asami jammed the pin from the shackles into the hinge. She wiggled it a little to position it.

"Okay." Asami shifted her grip to the end of the metal pin. The small pin didn't leave a lot of room to grip it. Korra squeezed beside her and placed her hands over Asami's. It wasn't the best grip, but it would have to do. "On three?"

"On three," Korra agreed.

"One, two three." Asami grunted as she pulled down on the metal pin. Korra threw her weight into it, adding her strength to Asami's. For a moment nothing happened, then the pin started to give. Korra gritted her teeth against the sound of metal sliding against metal. Finally it loosened enough for them to pull the metal out the rest of the way. They knelt by the bottom hinge. Asami jammed the pin into place once more. They pushed downward, but the metal wouldn't budge. Korra could make out the sounds of footsteps heading their way.

"Move out of the way." She wanted to be between Asami and whoever was about to come through the door.

"No, I can do this," Asami muttered through gritted teeth.

Korra grabbed Asami's shoulder. "Asami we're out of time."

Asami stood and made a frustrated noise. In one fluid motion she brought her leg up and then down again in an arc striking the pin with the wooden heel of her boot. The hinge pin creaked and gave. Korra jumped out of the way as the door pivoted and swung outward. They darted out into the hall.

"Which way?" Korra asked.

Asami glanced around. "I don't know."

"Well, I guess we start with going the opposite direction of them." Korra nodded toward the hallway where they heard shouting and footsteps. Asami grabbed Korra's hand and they took off running. As they moved through the halls, Korra went over their options. _If we get captured again, they'll likely separate us. They might not bother with capture, if we've annoyed them they might decide we're more trouble than we're worth. _She was panting hard. Normally this kind of exercise would be fine, but her head still ached, and she wasn't sure the last time she'd had water, or food for that matter. They rounded a corner and nearly collided with a man in Earth Kingdom clothes.

His eyes widened. "Death to the Kingslayer!" He drew his word and rushed at them. Korra dropped into a defensive position. She prepared to take the man on, but Asami rushed forward ducking under his swing and swiftly bringing up her foot. It connected his arm, knocking the sword away. She followed with a sharp shove to his chest. The man tumbled backwards into the wall. One more quick kick across his face left him slumped unconscious on the floor. Korra felt paralyzed. She had never seen Asami move like that. Her eyes burned a rage Korra had never seen before.

Asami turned to her. "Don't just stand there staring, come on!"

Korra forced her legs into motion. The continued through the compound until they finally found a door leading outside. Korra immediately headed for the trees. That was their best chance to lose them.

Asami tugged on Korra's hand. "What about Naga?" Asami hissed.

Korra froze. "What?" She looked back at the building they had come out of.

"I was riding Naga when they captured us," Asami explained.

Korra pulled Asami down into some bushes. "Do you have any idea where they would have taken her?" Korra tried to tell herself that she needed to find Naga to make it easier for them to escape, but honestly she simply couldn't live with herself if anything happened to her.

"I don't think they would have held her inside." Asami squinted at the building.

"Alright lets see if-" Korra stopped talking when she spotted shadowy figures dropping from the trees near the house. These people weren't wearing the same clothing as the Red Lotus from their camp, and didn't seem to be with the people who had captured him. "Spirits, how many people want me dead?" Korra asked. She watched as the one of the figures made their way around the house, reappearing a few moments later, leading Naga. Korra's heart hammered. Two more emerged from the house, sheathing their weapons. The three figures stood by her horse and seemed to converse for a moment. Finally one of them spoke loudly enough for them to hear.

"Knight-Commander Korra, we were sent on behalf of your squire, Kai. In order to let you know that we are friends, he instructed us to tell you that 'He won't be copying any more books for you.'"

Korra glanced at Asami. "Stay here, if it's a trick, I'd rather be captured knowing you can break me out." Asami opened her mouth to protest. "They only mentioned me. You can position yourself to ambush them if they try anything." Korra took her hand. "Please Asami."

Reluctantly Asami nodded. Korra squeezed her hand before standing up and making her way to the people. The one who had spoken stepped forward and pulled down the cloth covering her mouth. "Knight-Commander Korra." She stuck out her hand. "I'm Su Beifong, it's a pleasure.

* * *

**A/N: **Hello everyone! Finals are happening! Things are crazy! Sorry for the delay, but summer is approaching and we will soon be able to resume regularly updating things, hopefully. Thanks all for your feedback and for commenting. We love hearing from the fans. Check out our Tumblr accounts (Sy Itha &amp; Michelle Magly) for more hijinks &amp; regular updates on other things.


	16. Chapter 16

Asami couldn't even manage a smile at the familiar position she had taken: riding behind Korra with her arms around her waist. She was tired. The physical exertion and emotional toll were finally catching up with her. She was grateful they rode at a moderate pace to keep from wearing out the horses. Otherwise she was not certain she could have held on. Though her body was tired, her mind was racing. How had their campsite been found? Why had they been imprisoned by Earth Kingdom citizens? How did Suyin know where they were?

_Suyin Beifong._ She tried not to stare at the woman riding beside them. She could see the resemblance to Opal. _And those are her sons._ Asami glanced between Suyin and her two sons. Their clothing was abnormal for heavy combat. What armor they wore was padded leather, and though she saw at least one knife on each of them, there were far too many parts of the outfits designed to conceal weaponry. As much as she was grateful to Suyin for her hand in their escape, somehow she still felt wary. _Lin said she was a spymaster. She definitely looks the part._

The sun began to creep over the horizon and Asami realized they were much farther into Earth Kingdom territory than she initially thought. Looking around, she recognized none of the sprawling fields or distant mountain ranges.

War was not a stranger to the kingdom, at least. She saw wreckage from abandoned siege equipment along the roadside, and though they rode through prime farmland, she saw no evidence of efforts to work the soil. The fields had gone feral, returning to grasslands. "Do you know of any battles fought here?" Asami asked, leaning in close to Korra.

She shifted in the saddle, her cheek nearly brushing Asami. "Lots of bandit activity before the Queen passed," she said, then added more softly "I hear Zaofu separated from the Earth Kingdom without...agreement."

"Will it be a problem that we went there?" Asami asked. "People could take it as a sign that you're allying with them."

"I'd rather ally with them than the people who threw me in a cellar," Korra muttered.

Asami sighed. "Fair point." The rest of the ride was mostly silent. Though she had a million questions, and Korra likely did as well, she just wanted to take a bath and change her clothes.

* * *

Korra was grateful when she saw the city on the horizon. The approach to Zaufu was impressive. The massive outer walls loomed before them. There had not been a successful campaign against Zaofu in known history. To her credit, Suyin was a very skilled diplomat, and usually resolved issues peacefully, but Korra had heard rumors that Su was also a skilled warrior. She had no desire to find out.

They led the horses to the stables. Korra dismounted and then helped Asami down. She gasped. There was a large cut across Asami's brow.

"Asami!" Korra reached up to touch it but stopped, not wanting to hurt her. "Why didn't you say anything?" Korra hadn't had time, or light, to see Asami when they were escaping, now that she could look at her properly, she could see the cuts and bruises.

Asami shook her head. "Korra, it's not that bad."

Her chest constricted tightly even though she tried to breathe. _She was hurt and you didn't notice. She got hurt because of you._ "You need a healer."

Asami chuckled softly. "I need a bath."

Korra frowned. "Asami…"

"Korra!" Kai threw himself against Korra, nearly knocking her over.

"Kai," Korra wheezed. "I'm injured, please let go."

He immediately jumped back. "Sorry Knight-Commander."

"Where are the others?" Korra glanced behind him, bracing herself for Bolin's hug.

Kai's smile fell. "They didn't tell you?"

She stomach felt like lead. "Tell me what?"

Kai couldn't meet her eyes. "They were captured by the Red Lotus."

* * *

Korra hated meetings. She hated sitting there talking about things when she wanted to be out there _doing_ something. Kai had related his escape. Jinora had provided the cover while he slipped away for help. _That must have been hard for him._ He had hidden in the shadows and followed the Red Lotus for as long as he could. Then he practically ran the whole way to Zaofu for help. _How long was I out?_ It worried her that she had no memory of what happened prior to waking up in the cell with Asami. _Asami…_ She was worried. Asami had seemed in a daze ever since they arrived at the city. When she was no longer trapped in a meeting with Suyin, she wanted to find Asami and make sure she was alright. As it was, she had to listen to report after report that basically said the same thing. No one knew where they had taken everyone. Even though Kai's information helped them narrow it down, they had yet to locate the Red Lotus hideout.

"I hate to be the one to say this," Suyin began. "But why wouldn't they just kill Mako and Bolin? Why capture them?"

"Because they want something, or someone." Korra frowned. "If I had to guess, they want me. It's likely that they can't reach my father and went after me because they knew I wouldn't have the protection of the castle." Her frown deepened into a scowl. "But that raises the question of how did they find us? Not many knew of our plan, much less our route."

"Who was in the meeting when you discussed your plans?" Suyin asked.

"Besides my father and myself? We talked with Lin, who suggested we come here. At the initial meeting though there was Tenzin, Prince Wu and…" Korra clenched her fists. "Kuvira."

Suyin's eyes widened. "General Kuvira?" She looked genuinely surprised.

"That smug little...I'd wager she let our location 'accidentally' slip to gain favor in with the Earth Kingdom." Korra knew there was something about that woman she didn't like.

Suyin shook her head. "No, Kuvira wouldn't do that."

"Have you met the woman? She made it very clear that she hates me. Maybe she didn't tip off the Red Lotus," Korra conceded. "But I'll bet my horse that's how the Earth Kingdom rebels found us."

"No!" Suyin slammed her hand down on the table. "Kuvira wouldn't do that."

Korra crossed her arms. "Why are you so sure?"

Suyin narrowed her eyes. "She's my daughter!"

Of all the things she was expecting to hear, that was not it. "She's a Beifong?" _Ancestors how many of them are there?_

"Not technically, no." Suyin rubbed her brow. "We never legally adopted her, but I raised her as one of my own."

Korra threw her hands up. "Are you suggesting Tenzin is trying to kill his own daughter? Or that _my _father would-"

"No," Suyin interrupted. "And Wu is useless."

"Surely not Lin?" Korra thought it over. True, she and Lin had their differences, but both of them just wanted to keep the kingdom safe.

"My sister has always held duty beyond anything else." The words were tinged with bitterness. "No, I don't think Lin could do something like that."

"Then what? They just _happened_ to find us?" Korra shook her head again. "I don't think so, Su."

Suyin stroked her chin thoughtfully. "But what could Kuvira possibly gain?"

Realization struck her. "The people."

"What?"

"The favor of the people." Korra gritted her teeth. _Why didn't I see it before?_ "I am pretty much considered the enemy of the Earth Kingdom citizens. Their government cannot outright attack me. That would risk war with my father. But if some rebel forces just happened to kidnap me while I was on a dangerous mission, then they get what they want. Whoever supplied them with that information would be seen as a hero. A hero that might be a better ruler than a useless sniveling nephew?"

Su's eyes darkened. "You think she means to take over?"

Korra nodded. "I think she'd seize the opportunity if it presented itself. So she passed on some information to the rebels, and it would be likely one of them had connections with the Red Lotus."

Suyin sagged into her chair, she looked tired. "This is a mess."

Korra rubbed her temple. "If we can't find them soon, they'll likely contact us. Probably for a trade."

"For you." It wasn't a question.

It was really the only option. "For me."

"And you plan on going through with it?" Suyin shook her head.

"If we can't find them in the meantime, yes." Korra stood from the table. "I know my father. He won't negotiate, not even for me." Her hand went to the necklace under her shirt. _Asami is going to kill me. _"I'll trade my life, for the others."

"Unless you are determined to throw your life away," Suyin began. "We should come up with some kind of rescue plan as well as a contingency plan if the trade goes badly."

Korra smiled. She was starting to like Su. "I'm all ears."

* * *

Asami was glad that the Beifongs had a private bath. She had not been looking forward to a bunch of people chatting, or children running about. When she opened the door she was taken aback by the opulence of it. The room had sheer green cloth draped around it, accenting the intricate mosaic tile on the floor. The bath itself was built into the floor, and she assumed was heated from underneath. She set the clothes Suyin had provided on a nearby bench. She shed her regular clothes and sighed. It felt good to be out of the them. She slowly lowered herself into the water, letting the warmth ease the ache in her muscles. She groaned and leaned against the wall of the bath.

Just when it seemed like things were going to be alright, they found out that the others were taken captive. Suyin had assured them that her network of spies were already hard at work trying to locate the Red Lotus, but the Earth Kingdom was vast and they did not know how much time the boys and Jinora had.

Asami took a breath and sank beneath the water. For a moment she stayed submerged. It was nice to listen to the muted sounds of the water. It felt like a different world. Images from the battle at the campsite and the escape flashed through her mind. _Korra disappearing into the night. Her body on the ground. An assassin rushing toward them. She strikes out._ She gasped as she broke the surface. She tried to calm her racing heart. _You didn't kill anyone, just incapacitated. _She gripped the side of the tub, the warm tile grounding her in reality.

A knock on the door startled her. "Asami?" It was Korra, her voice muffled through the door. "Are you in there?"

Even though Korra couldn't see her, she lowered herself so that the water covered her body. "Yes, did you need something?"

There was a moment of hesitation. "Can I come in?"

Asami's eyes widened. "Um...I'm not-"

"I won't look. I just...I need to talk to you." The words were spoken in a rush, as if she wanted to say them before losing courage.

"Alright," she said. She watched the door open. Korra slipped inside, keeping her back to the tub. She sat cross legged on the floor, facing away from Asami.

"I'm sorry about this," Korra murmured.

Asami sighed and let herself relax again. Of course Korra would not try anything dubious. Her honor would not let her. "Don't apologize. I'm actually glad you're here."

"Truely?"

"I think everything is starting to catch up with me," she admitted. She did not elaborate on the thought right away. She remained quiet, waiting to see if Korra would prompt her or fill the silence in some way. She just sat there, instead, waiting patiently. She explained further, "I know it's nothing compared to what you're going through...but I've never attacked anyone like that before."

"I don't know about that. I can remember a few times you've put me in my place."

Asami shook her head even though Korra couldn't see it. "I was so angry, Korra. I wanted to kill them. They hurt you, and I wanted to make them hurt."

"Asami…" The way Korra spoke her name made her heart swell. "It's not easy. They can train you, and train you all they like, but they can't teach you about that. I know it doesn't mean much now, but you didn't kill them. You were able to hold back that rage, and that is a sign of strength."

"Is that how you feel when you fight?" Asami asked.

"I used to." Korra's words were soft. "I remember feeling rage that had no limits. It's easy when you're blindly fighting in a battle. You don't have to look too closely at what you're doing. I remember killing my first soldier, face to face. I remember seeing the look in his eyes as he knew he was about to die. That kind of thing seems to dampen the rage a little."

"Is that what you wanted to talk about?" Asami asked.

She saw Korra's shoulders shrug. "Partly. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

There was something else, something important. Asami could feel it. "And?"

She could see Korra's body tense. "Go over a plan."

Her heart dropped. "Why do I feel like I'm going to hate it?"

Korra sighed. "Because you will."


	17. Chapter 17

Asami couldn't stand the waiting. She needed a project. She'd already worked on the glider, but didn't want to ask Korra to try it again. _What if she gets hurt and then has to go out and fight? _Instead she threw herself into making new armor for Korra, and Zaofu had one of the best forges in the world. The blacksmiths at Zaofu had techniques she had never heard of before. They were able to refine the metal into a much better quality, allowing for a lighter alloy, without losing protection. She forced herself to focus on the task before her, imagining every strike of the hammer as a blow against Zaheer and his group of assassins. She didn't want to think about what might be coming.

Korra had told her that she planned to give herself over to Zaheer in exchange for the others. On the surface it was a fair trade, four hostages for royalty. But every time she thought about it, her heart wrenched. _She's given so much already, does she have to give her life?_ She struck the hammer again, sparks flying from the steel. _If she has to fight, she's going to have the best. The best weapon, the best armor, the best chance at surviving._

"Asami?" Asami whirled around, brandishing the hammer like a weapon. Kai took a step back. "Whoa! Hey, I thought you heard me come in."

Asami sighed and set down the hammer. Her arm ached and she wondered how long she'd been at the forge. "I'm sorry Kai, did you need something?"

"You wanted Korra's measurements?" He held out a piece of paper. Asami was little disappointed. She had hoped Korra would deliver them herself.

"Yes, thank you." She took the paper and studied the numbers.

"Asami…she's not doing well." She almost missed Kai's words over the roar of the nearby fire.

She turned to meet his eyes. "Korra?"

He nodded. "All she has done is train. She's had Su throwing some kind of knife at her for the past hour." He hesitated. "Without armor on."

"Without…" Words failed her as anger took over. "Where?"

Kai pointed down the hall. "In the southern courtyard, behind the library."

Asami stormed out of the forge, not caring if anyone got in her way. _What kind of idiot goes into a practice without armor on? She's going to get herself killed in training before she even fights Zaheer._

* * *

Korra panted hard and she wiped the sweat from her brow. "Again."

Suyin gave her a concerned look. "Korra, maybe you should take a break–"

Korra shook her head. "Again!"

Suyin sighed and drew her knives. She moved back to her position a short way from Korra. Suyin had explained that the type of weapon Zaheer used was mid to short range and wasn't as effective at a long distance. After watching Suyin demonstrate the throw, they worked together to help her learn to dodge.

Korra took a breath and stood with her arms at her sides. She knew if Zaheer were to attack her, she wouldn't have time to drop into a stance. She had to be able to move out of the way from a standing position. She waited, her eyes never leaving Su's.

A flicker of movement was her only warning. She twisted to her side letting the knife fly past her, keeping her profile to Suyin. _Smaller target is harder to hit._ Su threw again, this time a series of knives, one after the other. Bumi had once tried to show her how to move circularly, to avoid attacks. She hadn't seen much use for it at the time, but called upon the knowledge now. None of the knives were able to touch her. She dropped her arms and grinned. "Alright, this time try-"

"Korra!"

Korra winced, not from the volume, but the tone. "Asami, hey…" She turned to meet the fury heading her way. "I thought you'd be working in the forge, did you finish-"

"Just shut up!" she growled. "I did not break you out of a cellar to have Suyin throw knives at you without any kind of protection."

Korra held out her hands in surrender. "Asami, I'm just-"

"Trying to get yourself killed?" she interrupted.

Korra sighed. "I'm fine, we were-"

Asami jabbed her finger against Korra's chest. "What if you were injured? How are you going to fight him if you're injured?"

Korra gestured to the door nearby. "There are healers in the–"

"I don't want to hear your excuses!" Asami said.

"I have to be ready. I can't let him incapacitate me again," Korra explained. "Do you honestly think he's going to honor any negotiation that we make with him?"

"We could still find them, you might not have to negotiate."

Korra shook her head. "We're running out of time. Every day we get the same report: no one knows where they are. They've holed up somewhere, and they aren't coming out."

"You still should be using at least padded armor, _something_."

"I needed the mobility, and he won't want me in armor when we meet again."

"Maybe not visible armor, but I could make some chain mail that –"

"Asami…"

"Your Highness!" A messenger ran into the courtyard. He panted lightly before handing a piece of paper to Suyin. "They've contacted us for the exchange."

Suyin met Korra's eyes. "They want to meet at the mountain range on the border of our lands."

"Can you get your people in place?" Korra asked. The plan would not work if Suyin's stealth units were not able to make it to the meeting place.

Suyin frowned. "It'll be cutting it close."

"Korra," Asami grabbed her by the shoulders. "There's got to be another way."

Korra shrugged her shoulders. "I'm open to suggestions." She watched Asami's scowl deepen as she thought through the alternatives. She opened her mouth to say something, but instead turned and walked away.

Before she could give chase, Suyin spoke up. "Korra, there are still some details we need to go over."

Korra raised a hand to her neck, fingers touching the delicate chain there before traveling down to brush across the pendant. "There's something that I need to do first."

* * *

Asami ran her fingers over the carefully formed metal links. She did not trust her eyes anymore. They were already heavy with drowsiness. Her hands, though, they were always steady. She closed her eyes and allowed her fingertips to search the chainmail for any imperfections.

She found one and opened her eyes, grabbing her pliers and fixing the link quickly. The bump in the shirt was no more. Any weakness the warped metal might have caused would not harm Korra.

She drew in a shaky breath, setting the pliers aside once more. Her hands went back to work. She had gone over the chainmail more times than she would ever admit. They had taken the plate mail from her earlier, or she would still work on that. They had told her to get some rest, but her mind would not settle.

The creak of the door startled her but she did not look away from her work. "Asami?"

She glanced back to see Korra walking inside, her thin tunic hanging loosely off her shoulders. Asami turned back to the chainmail, but her hands suddenly trembled. She braced them on the table, not trusting herself to hold it anymore. "Is there something I can help you with?" she asked.

She heard footsteps approaching. She felt warmth as Korra drew closer. Still, she did not turn to face her. "I need to talk to you," Korra said.

A hand touched her shoulder. Asami inhaled sharply and caught the scent of sandalwood mixed with other unnamable things. Somehow, it blended together to form something that was uniquely Korra. "About?" she asked. Picking up the pliers, Asami forced herself to work the chainmail again.

"I know you're upset with my decision." The hand slid down to grip her forearm gently. "I would be, too, if our positions were reversed." Asami's hands shook too much. She would only ruin the armor if she tried to work on it right now. "But I wanted to tell you why I'm doing this. I want you to understand I'm doing it for their lives."

Finally, Asami turned around, bumping into the table as she backed into it. Barely inches separated them. "I know, Korra," she said, fighting to keep a warble out of her tone. "I know that you would have made another choice if you could." She allowed her gaze to meet Korra's deep blue stare. The soft crinkles in her face spoke to a deeper worry, something beyond confronting Zaheer. There was no fear there, just concern.

"Then there's something else I need you to know." Korra reached between them, taking one of Asami's trembling hands and folding it in her warm grasp. "I want to tell you now. I might not get another chance."

"What are you talking about?" Asami asked. She pulled her hand out of Korra's and cupped her cheek. "You'll be here with me tomorrow night just the same as tonight." Tears pressed for release. She swallowed them back, and yet her lower lip trembled with the effort.

"Asami." Korra closed her eyes for a moment before continuing. "I might die."

"You won't!" Asami turned and grabbed the chainmail. The tears finally crawled down her cheeks. "You won't. I made you chainmail. See? You can wear this under your shirt." She shoved a fistful of the metal ringlets toward Korra. "He won't get a chance to poison you. Nothing will get through." Korra stood there quietly. Asami felt a sob climb through her chest. It released in a broken sigh. "You know that, right? I would never let anything happen to you, not while you're in my armor."

Korra's hands were on her waist. "All the same." She pulled her close. Asami could only stare, first at Korra's lips, then her eyes. "You deserve to know." The warmth of Korra's breath feathered against her cheek as she leaned closer.

The chainmail fell to the floor, her hands wrapped around Korra pulling her into the embrace. The feel of Korra's lips was soft and passionate. Korra's hand slid up to tangle in Asami's hair and she faltered, leaning back against the table for support. Korra moved with her, keeping their bodies firmly pressed together as she deepened the kiss.

Asami gasped as she felt Korra gently bite at her lower lip. Korra's tongue pressed against her mouth, making her legs tremble. Part of her desperately wanted to lose herself in the moment. She almost did, but then Korra broke away.

"Asami I-"

"Don't," Asami interrupted. "Don't say it, not like this. Not because you might never get to." She cupped Korra's face and took a moment, wanting to memorize every detail. "You're going to come back to me. When you do, _then_ you can tell me. You can do some stupidly complicated romantic gesture if you want, but only after you return. So...so you have a reason to come back." She gripped the front of Korra's tunic as if she could stop her from having to leave.

"Okay." Korra pulled Asami into her arms again, resting her face against the crook of her neck, like she'd done at the ball. She never wanted to move from that position.

"Korra?"

Korra pulled away and met her gaze. "Yes?"

"Kiss me again?"

"Of course," Korra murmured. She captured Asami's mouth in a sweet kiss, and she clung to Korra tightly, wishing that the moment would never end.


	18. Chapter 18

Korra let Asami help her into the chain shirt and helped her adjust a tunic over it, hiding the ringlets underneath the thick fabric. "He won't suspect a thing," Asami said, smoothing her hand over the material one more time. She looked down at Korra with watery eyes. "You'll do just fine."

Korra took her hand and brought it to her lips, planting a soft kiss on her calloused palm. No matter how rough Asami's hands were from work, her touch was always so tender to Korra. "I practiced with Suyin as much as possible." She allowed herself to hold tightly to Asami's hand. "I will see you tonight, I promise."

Asami leaned forward and kissed her softly. Korra leaned up into the kiss. Part of her wished she had never done it. Kissing Asami almost felt too good to walk away from. It made her heart ache to even think about it. When they broke apart, Asami whispered, "You had better, or I will follow you into the afterlife and drag your spirit back."

Korra smiled and leaned up for another peck on the lips. "If anyone could manage it, I'm sure you would." With a sigh, she untangled herself from Asami and adjusted the knife in her boot. She had other weapons hidden all over her person, though daggers were nothing like what she was used to fighting with. Already today she had regretted ignoring most of Bumi's close-quarters combat training. "I have been a fool nearly all my life, Asami," she said, summoning up as much confidence as she could. "I don't plan to continue it any longer. I will see you again."

Asami laughed. "I...It's because you're a fool that I…"

"I know," Korra said, stopping her mid-sentence. She stole one last kiss from her before saying, "I need to report to Suyin. Her team will follow me to Zaheer."

"Be safe," Asami said.

"I know my record does not speak well for me, but I'll try." She left Asami to find Suyin and the company of soldiers waiting for her at the stables. Kai had Naga saddled for her. He passed off the reins, his brow creased with worry.

"Are you ready, Knight-Commander?" Suyin asked.

"I have to be, don't I?" she asked. Kai helped her up into the saddle. She glanced down at him and smiled. "I'll bring them back safely, Jinora too."

"They have my daughter," Suyin said. "I will not rest until Zaheer pays for this."

Korra frowned at the older woman. "We'll have time enough for vengeance later, right now I just want everyone to walk away from this alive."

Suyin nodded. "We do it your way, Knight-Commander. Everyone's safety is our priority, this time."

They set off from Zaofu, riding west toward the meeting place specified. Halfway there, Suyin's troops parted from the rest of the group to hide out of sight, in case something happened. The anxiety in her stomach tightened as they neared the plateau in the mountain ranges. The high ridges were an unfamiliar terrain for her. Zaheer no doubt chose the location for its sharp contrast to the plains she had grown up accustomed to. Naga had more than enough trouble climbing to the top. A quick escape would not be an option.

Moments later, she could see figures on the horizon. Zaheer led the way, followed by the woman with a tattooed forehead she recognized as the firebreather. She led two others, both bound with bags over their heads. _Bolin and Mako, judging by the build. Where are Jinora and Opal?_

Zaheer stopped in the middle of the clearing. "Knight-Commander Korra."

"Where are the others, Zaheer?" Korra called. Her hands tightened on Naga's reins. She had a bad feeling.

"We wanted to make sure that there weren't any tricks." He nodded in the direction of Suyin. "So we will provide you the location of the others once you are in our custody."

"That wasn't the agreement," Suyin growled.

"Given your history, Suyin, I'd say this is a generous proposition." Zaheer crossed his arms.

"Take the bags off their head coverings first, I want to make sure we're trading for the right people," Korra called. The firebreather yanked the bags off. Bolin and Mako blinked against the sunlight. Both of them were gagged and little bruised, but seemed otherwise intact.

Korra turned to Suyin. "We don't have a choice. I'll go with them." Korra slid down off of Naga. She leaned into Naga and stroked her neck, the motion hiding her face from Zaheer. "Get them to safety, and then come find me," she whispered. Suyin's jaw was set tight, but Korra knew she had understood. She turned and walked to Zaheer. The woman shoved Mako and Bolin forward, they stumbled a moment but then started walking. They hesitated as they passed her, but she shook her head, telling them not to try anything. She wouldn't risk Opal and Jinora's life. When she reached Zaheer, he bound her wrists. She glanced over her shoulder to see Suyin removing the gags and bindings from Mako and Bolin.

"Now, where are the others?" she asked.

Zaheer smiled at her. "Do you think your life is worth so much?" Korra didn't have time to shout a warning before Zaheer and his gang threw small orbs to the ground. Brilliant flashes exploded across the plateau. Zaheer gripped her tightly and dragged her away. She screamed for help, unable to see anything but spots dancing in front of her eyes. The last thing she heard was Suyin shouting orders before she felt a sharp pinch of a needle in her neck and was plunged into darkness.

* * *

Asami waited on the walls of Zaofu. She had lost track of how long she had been sitting there, staring at an empty road. Thousands of thoughts flashed through her head as each moment ticked by. _They should have been back by now._ She knew that even if they had to travel more slowly with the addition of Bolin, Mako, Opal, and Jinora they should have arrived at Zaofu long before now. _Something went wrong._ That much was certain. She was terrified to discover how badly the meeting had gone. _Did they have to fight? Was someone injured? Korra...spirits protect her._

At last, she saw figures moving along the road. As they moved closer, she was able to make out Suyin at the head, followed by a few of her soldiers. She strained her eyes looking for Korra. Bolin, and then Mako came into sight. _But what about the rest? _The grim look on their faces told her almost everything she needed to know.

"Please let her be alive." Her heart hammered in her chest as she made her way down from the wall to meet the group. When they opened the massive gates and let them through Asami rushed to Suyin. "What happened?"

"Zaheer told us to trade Korra for Mako and Bolin, and then said he would tell us the location of Jinora and my daughter." Her eyes were red and rimmed with tears. "As you can see, he didn't hold up his end of the bargain."

"What about the ambush?" Asami searched the faces of the men riding behind Suyin. "You had a _plan._"

"He had something that made flashes of light. Magic maybe," Bolin said. He shrugged and then winced. "We couldn't see anything, and when the light faded, they were gone."

"You shouldn't have let her trade," Mako growled.

Suyin shook her head. "It was her decision. We couldn't risk Jinora and Opal."

"You mean _you _couldn't!" Mako shot back.

Asami could see Suyin stiffen. "Mako…" She moved to his horse and tugged on his leg. His eyes darted from Asami to Suyin before he turned his horse and headed to the stables.

Bolin stopped his horse beside Asami. "We'll think of something. We'll get her back." She watched him follow his brother to the stables and hoped he was right.

* * *

Asami stared at the polished armor on the table in front of her and tried to keep the tears at bay. Mako and Suyin had spent the better part of the day in yelling matches about the best course of action. Now night had fallen on Zaofu and the keep seemed empty without Korra's presence.

She distracted herself by running her hands over the fine details of Korra's curiass. She wanted to scream. They had planned and practiced and in a single strategic move Zaheer had made it all meaningless. The chain shirt wasn't going to help Korra now. They were doing who knows what to her, and Asami was stuck in Zaofu staring at her armor. _I should have gone with them_. The thought had resonated through her mind over and over as the day wore on. Realistically she knew that it was likely that her presence would have changed nothing, but it still stung.

The door to her workroom creaked open. In one fluid movement she slipped her hand into Korra's gauntlet and whirled to face the potential threat. Kai froze in the doorway. He looked somewhat worse for wear, with scratches along his face, and dirt covering most of his body.

"Where have you been?" Asami asked.

Kai motioned for her to keep her voice down. "Don't wake the whole keep," he hissed. Asami crossed her arms and waited for him to continue. He sighed. "This morning when they marched out, I followed them."

Asami's eyes widened. "You what?" She opened her mouth to yell at him for doing something so dangerous, but he held up his hand to stop her.

"I followed Zaheer, too. The others had surrounded the meeting place, but I hung back, didn't want them to know I was there. There was a flash from the plateau and then I saw Zaheer sneaking away with the tall tattoo lady. I tracked them to the southern mountain."

Her breath caught in her throat. "You know where they're keeping her?"

"Mostly. I think they might be in a cave system or something, but they have to be around there. I came back here as fast as I could and slipped in with the night changing of the guard."

"Why all the secrecy? We should go get Suyin so we can go get Korra."

"Do you really think Suyin is going to risk her daughter's life like that? She'd stop us from going." Kai shook his head. "No, we have to do this ourselves. I would have done it alone, but one against four isn't my preferred odds."

Asami glanced at the large sack stowed carefully in the corner of the room. She smiled and lifted her hand, still in Korra's gauntlet. She flexed her fingers into a fist."Then let me even them."


	19. Chapter 19

Korra woke with a gasp. Pain shot through her shoulder. Instinctively, she tried to clutch it, but found that she could not move her hands. She gave a tug, but the restraints wouldn't budge. Her hands were bound in front of her, secured tightly with rope.

Slowly, her vision adjusted to the faint flicker of torchlight. She looked past the bars of the cage and saw a large cavern. She was suspended in the middle of the chamber. Reluctantly, she looked down, but was not able to make out the floor in the darkness.

_Zaheer_. As her memory returned, she fought to keep her breathing controlled. Zaheer had her trapped, possibly underground, and far from any allies she could rely on to find her. She took a deep breath and fought the urge to exhale right away. She needed to remain in control. That was the only chance she had.

No one else was in the cavern. Korra tried not to think of what that might mean for Jinora and Opal. She pushed the thoughts from her mind. Her first priority was to escape. They could not keep her in a cage forever. If Zaheer had not killed her, that meant he needed her alive. _But why? What is he going to do with me? Bait?_

Korra took a few moments to focus. She glanced around her surroundings one more time, noticing the cavern wall not to far from where she hung. The rock face was creased and jagged, perfect for climbing if she could get her hands on it. Korra gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. She rocked her body to one side of the cage, then forward toward the cavern wall. The chain that suspended the cage groaned, but she rocked back anyways, putting more effort behind her forward push.

The cage swung a little farther each time. Soon all the rusted bars screeched in protest with her wild movement. "Just a bit more," she whispered. The next time she swung forward, she reached out for the rocks, shoving her bound hands awkwardly through the gap in the bars. Her fingers brushed stone, and then slipped away. "No!" The cry echoed through the cave.

"What are you doing?"

Korra immediately turned to see who had come into the cave. Zaheer stood below her, holding a torch aloft. He smiled up at her when she growled at him. "Nothing that concerns you."

"If you wish to kill yourself, it does not trouble me. But you should know that is all your foolish attempts will lead to." He swept the torch forward, revealing more of their surroundings. "This cave is completely enclosed, and has only one exit. It is heavily guarded. Even if you survived the fall, Knight-Commander, we would merely bring you back and lock you up in a less pleasant manner."

"This is pleasant?"

Zaheer laughed and she looked away. "Do you know what this cavern is, Knight-Commander?" When she did not answer, he continued. "This was one of many holding cells used by the first Earth King, Chin the Conqueror. After he united his territories, he sent the leader from each conquered government here. This room in particular jailed a man afraid of falling."

Korra rolled her eyes. "And so the King left him here to rot. And you hate the cursed nobility. I could care less about a mad man's motivations."

"But he did not leave him here to rot. No one died here, actually." Korra glanced down at Zaheer again. He began pacing. "The Earth King released them, years later when they were too feeble and too crazy to be of harm to anyone. They spoke wild tales of where they had been, of what Chin had done to them. He ruled his people with fear."

"Why do you tell me any of this? You expect me to agree with you? To think that all rulers are inherently evil?"

"I expect you of all people, Knight-Commander, to understand how dangerous a single person with that much power can be. Look no further than yourself. You killed your uncle in battle because of the injustices he had committed. But the people saw you as a thief. A petty soldier clamoring for power she didn't earn. They somehow think you hold their culture, their history, just because you struck down their leader."

Korra leaned back against the cage bars. "I don't hold any of those things," she replied. "I'm just a person, Zaheer. The people know that."

He shook his head. "No, they don't. I intend to remind them, Knight-Commander. I will liberate the masses, and I will do so by showing them even the Slayer is vulnerable." He turned and walked away, taking the torchlight with him.

"And what about you, Zaheer?" she called. "You are no better. Destroying the monarchy just to force the people into accepting your ideals."

"I force nothing upon them Knight-Commander. I simply seek to free them, not reclaim the throne."

Korra's eyes widened. "They'll be thrown into chaos."

He nodded. "That is the natural order. It will be as it should."

"You can't! Zaheer!" He ignored her, leaving through a narrow corridor that exited the main cavern. Korra sighed and waited a moment longer. She wanted to be sure he was gone before she resumed her work.

With a groan, she got back into position and started swaying the cage toward the rock face again.

* * *

Asami motioned for Kai to follow her across the empty courtyard. Silently, they made their way through the keep, careful to avoid the guards. They reached the stables and began saddling two of the horses. A noise caused them to duck behind one of the stalls.

"Bolin, watch it!" Mako hissed.

"I'm sorry!" Bolin whispered. "I can barely see where I'm walking."

"Come on we have to-" Mako stopped talking as he entered the stables. Asami groaned. _He's sure to see Naga half saddled._ "Who's here?" he called.

Reluctantly, Asami stood up. She could not meet his gaze. "Go back to bed, Mako."

"What are you doing here?" He pointed at Naga. "Where do you think you're going?"

The comment made her frown and glare at Mako. She raised a brow and put her hands on her hips. "I could ask you the same thing."

"We're going to save Korra!" Bolin said.

Mako sighed and tilted his head back. "Bolin…"

"Do even you have a plan?" Asami asked.

Mako straightened. "We're going to go start by the plateau and...why are you shaking your head?"

"Kai followed them, he knows close to where they're hiding. We think they're being kept underground. Hopefully Jinora, Opal, and Korra are in the same place." Asami moved to Naga's side and finished adjusting the saddle. "Kai and I were going to go alone, but I guess you can come along."

"Why didn't you tell us any of this?" Bolin asked.

"You two were held captive. You aren't exactly in the best shape. I know you were injured," Asami explained. Even as she spoke, Bolin winced as he walked over to her, holding his side. "But at this point I can either knock you out, or you can come with us."

Mako scoffed. "You wouldn't really knock us out."

Asami narrowed her gaze at him. "Try me."

"Let's save it for Zaheer, everyone," Kai said, stepping between them.

"You're right." Asami grabbed another saddle from the rack and tossed it at Bolin. He grunted, but caught it. "Come on boys. We're wasting time."

* * *

It took them the entire night and part of the next morning to reach the place where Kai had seen them disappear. They tied their horses off to the nearby trees and made camp. Asami pulled a sack from the back of Naga and carefully set it on the ground. Bolin leaned over and peered at it.

"What's in there? A secret weapon?" he asked.

"Something like that. We're going to have to wait until darkness though." She pulled the poles from the bag first and then carefully unrolled the fabric.

"What does it do? Is it some sort of catapult?" Mako asked as he joined them.

"No, it's a glider."

"A glider?" Mako sounded suspicious. "As in flying?"

"Gliding is very different from flying," Asami said. "I am hoping that we can use this to survey the valley more effectively. It will be easier to spot a fire, or campsite from the air."

"Does it even work?" Bolin asked.

"In theory the air moves over the wings of the glider and -"

"In theory? Have you even tested this?" Kai asked.

"Of course I tested it!" Asami shot back.

"And?" They all looked at her expectantly.

She hesitated. "Korra sprained her ankle." Mako frowned. "But, she did manage to stay in the air before falling. With a lighter load, I'm sure it will work."

"Well, Bolin is obviously out," Kai said with a laugh.

Mako shook his head. "There is no way I'm getting in that thing."

"No, we need someone small and light." Asami looked over at Kai. The color drained from his face.

"What?" He took a step back. "No!"

"Kai please? We don't know how much time she has." She prayed Kai would do it.. He had to. Even as she snapped the pieces into place, she watched him approach her hesitantly. He reached a hand out and felt the soft fiber pulling taut across the frame.

"It will work?" he asked.

Asami nodded. "If we go down into that valley without any knowledge of their location, they will find us and kill us." She finished assembling the glider and hoisted it up. "I would not ask you to do this if I thought I was putting your life at risk." She nodded toward the plateau edge. "Come on. There is a good launching point this way." Kai took the glider from her. As they walked, Asami pulled her spiked gauntlet on tight, cinching the straps tight to hold it on her hand. She flexed her fingers, working out the stiff leather.

"Are you all right?" Kai asked.

"I will be," Asami said. Fear gnawed at her gut - fear for Korra's life, for her safety. She worried that they would get there and that something would go wrong, that they would kill their captives rather than risk losing them. _That won't happen though. I'll kill them before I let that happen_. Her fists clenched. The leather creaked again. Her martial arts had always been a last resort, a means of self defense. But now she wondered what it might be like to smash the gauntlet into Zaheer's face. All she could picture was Korra, her face stricken with a familiar haunted look.

They reached the edge of the plateau and stopped. Asami looked out over the valley. Green grass rolled out before them, hills eclipsing one another on the horizon. "Whoa," said Kai. The glider tugged at him as wind currents passed over it.

"Do you think you can find them?" Asami asked.

He nodded. "If I don't fall to my death, I can take off in the direction I saw them go. But...how will I get back up here?"

"You only get one chance," Asami said. "Once you take off, we will climb down and wait for you to turn around and land by the cliff face." She took a moment to explain the basic concept behind controlling the glider. She pointed out the different ways he could steer and adjust his distance from the ground if something went wrong. "You'll just look like a bird to them," she said, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "A large bird."

Kai nodded, though his hands shook as he took his position with the glider.

"You can do this," Mako said. Asami saw him smile at the squire, a rare occurrence.

"I have full confidence in your abilities, Sir Squire," Bolin said with a bow. Kai chuckled nervously, and Bolin glanced up at him with a grin. "Good luck."

"All right, all right," Kai said. He turned away from them, looking out over the plateau edge. A strong wind pushed against them, and he took a cautious step forward. "So I just...try to run down the mountain?" he asked.

"And hopefully, your feet will never touch the ground," Asami said.

He took a deep breath. "This is for Korra. And Opal...and Jinora." He ran forward. He ran until his feet struggled to touch the ground, and he leapt into the air, the glider pulling him off the cliffside and into the sky.

* * *

A/N Omg guys, I know it's been a while. But yay here's a chapter! Also, for those of you that come to my streams, **STREAMS ARE NOW GOING TO BE HELD ON SATURDAYS AT 5PM PACIFIC TIME ON TWITCH CHANNEL LURALINE. SAME TIME, DIFFERENT DAY. THIS IS IN EFFECT AS OF JUNE 20TH.** I am going to be going to some meetings that are held on Fridays, that's why the change is happening. But yeah, hopefully we can be on a more regular schedule now.

In other news. I'M GOING TO HAVE A BOOK PUBLISHED! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! *ahem* Anyways, the book is called The Broken Coil and we're looking at having it ready sometime in the fall. I'll keep you all updated ~Sy


	20. Chapter 20

Asami wrung her hands as she watched Kai flying high above the tree canopy. He grew ever more distant, rapidly soaring away from the plateau. Bolin and Mako stood beside her, transfixed on the impossible feat unfolding in front of them.

"I can't believe that actually works," Mako murmured. "Can you imagine having a squad of people in those things? They could drop down into the enemy camps, or drops things from the sky."

Asami didn't reply, she kept her eyes on Kai. She had pointed out a landing spot for him, but if he couldn't make it there, they'd have to go find him. After what seemed like an eternity, Kai turned the glider back toward them and descended, making tighter circles just above the clearing at the foot of the plateau.

"He's coming down." Asami shouldered her pack and gestured for Bolin and Mako to follow her. "Let's hope he found something."

They made their way down the plateau as fast as they dared. If Zaheer had scouts patrolling the woods, a rockslide would give away their position faster than anything else.

When they finally reached the landing site, they found no sign of Kai or the glider. Bolin readied his polearm and Mako drew his swords. A moment later, Asami caught movement in the bushes. She rushed forward, raising her fist as she readied to strike out at the assailant.

"Asami!" Kai cried. At the last second, Asami diverted the blow, connecting the heavy gauntlet with a nearby tree trunk. Kai stared at her, wide-eyed.

"S-sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, I didn't think you'd want the glider where anyone could find it so I hid it over there-" Kai kept talking but Asami didn't hear it. She took several deep, slow breaths to try to calm her racing heart. _I nearly killed him._ She looked down at the gauntleted hand. _I don't have to use it anymore after we find Korra_. Somehow, that did not relieve the sudden burden she felt.

"Asami?" Mako said softly. "Come here, I found something."

She shook her head to clear it and made it to where Mako knelt in the dirt. She glanced at the ground. "Mako there's nothing here."

"I know." He lowered his voice and turned to glare at her. "Do you want to tell me what that was back there?" He nodded in Kai's direction.

Asami ran her free hand through her hair. "I thought it was a Red Lotus member." Mako nodded but didn't reply. "I don't know what's wrong with me. Normally I can keep an even temper in a fight, but right now...I just want them to _hurt._"

Mako shook his head. "Korra wouldn't want that. Even when it was inadvisable, she always tried to find a peaceful solution." He paused. His gaze was unfocused, far off. Clearly, he was remembering something. "It has cost her a lot, but it never cost her the things that made her... _her._" He stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants. "That was what she tried to tell you when we started out. This was what she wanted to spare you." He held her gaze. "But it's too late for that. Now you've got to figure out how you're going to get through this and still look at yourself in the mirror."

Asami tried to reply, but he held up a hand and shook his head.

"Bo, Kai, what have we got?" he asked, turning back to the others.

Bolin grinned. "Kai found some kind of ruins. He said it looked like a fortress or jail."

Asami gasped. "I think I've heard of the place. The local legends tell of a fortress some old king used to lock up prisoners for torture."

"I bet that's the same place. Zaheer might think it _poetic justice_," Kai said.

"So what's the plan now?" Bolin asked.

Asami pulled a map from her pack. "We go and get them back."

* * *

Korra swung the cage again and it crashed into the wall. She grunted as it swung wildly away, screeching against its chain hook. No one had come to check on her in a while. If she broke out, they would recapture her. They were certain. Korra, however, was certain that they did not expect her to strategize. _Just have to get out of the cage. Then I can wait._ Zaheer was right, of course. She stood no chance of escaping on her own, but if any distraction presented itself, she wanted to be free to take advantage of it.

The cage was battered from her work. She pitched herself back and then forward again, swinging it into the wall once more. Her arms were bruised and bleeding but she needed to keep moving.

The cage clanged loudly as it hit against the wall. It swung away and Korra toppled to the other side of the cage. Pieces of rock tumbled down from the ceiling, pinging against the metal and raining on her head. It took her a moment to recover from the crash. She cursed when she realized how much momentum she had lost.

She flexed her fingers to try to regain some feeling in her shoulder. She slumped against the side of the cage and allowed herself a few moments to catch her breath. Her body felt so weak. _How long have they kept me here?_ They had given her water only a few times and she didn't remember them giving her food at all. _Probably to keep me weak._ Instinctively, she reached for the necklace, only to find it missing. She clenched her hands tightly and fought down a swell of panic. The necklace could have fallen off, or perhaps Zaheer took it. She clenched her jaw and readied herself for the next blow. _Asami, I'm going to keep my promise. _With a grunt, she shoved against the cage wall again.

* * *

Asami and Kai made their way to the entrance of the cave system underneath the fortress ruins. The ruins above had looked mostly deserted, but the tunnels running underneath were all well-guarded. Two men stood at the entrance, both heavily armed. They did not look focused, however. They talked with each other and hardly glanced at their surroundings. Whatever Zaheer had told them had done little to warn against a serious threat.

Finally, she nodded at Kai and they rushed the two guards. They both looked toward them, and one managed the start of a warning before Kai got to him, quietly taking the guard down with a blow to the head. Asami grabbed her own target tightly and pressed a smothering grip over his mouth, waiting for him to still. When both were unconscious, Mako and Bolin helped them carry the bodies out of sight. Kai and Asami kept watch as they changed into the newly acquired Red Lotus uniforms.

"You're sure about this?" Asami asked. Mako's outfit was a little short on him, and Bolin's looked a bit too tight.

Mako shrugged. "It's the best chance we have. Hopefully the light will be poor in there."

Bolin walked over to Asami and held up some rope. "Ready to be my prisoner?"

She nodded and handed over her gauntlet. "Keep this on the back of your belt." After Bolin secured her weapon, Asami held out her wrists and let him bind them loosely. Mako did the same with Kai. "Everyone ready?" She asked. They nodded. "Let's finish this."

The tunnel entrance and even further in held no other guards. When they encountered branching corridors in every direction, Asami realized why. "It's practically a maze," said Mako. He and Bolin seemed to make random guesses as to which corridor they should be heading down. Asami could not complain. She had no better strategy.

"Wait, this way." Kai had stopped and tugged on his bonds. He nodded toward another branch in the tunnel.

"Why?" asked Mako.

"It's wider than this tunnel. Wouldn't you think it is because this leads somewhere important?"

Bolin shrugged and led Asami over to the tunnel entrance. "He does make a valid point."

After staring down the hall a while longer, Mako sighed. "All right, let's go."

They began walking down the wider tunnel. Asami stared at the walls, wondering how long it had taken for such a place to be carved out. She listened to their footsteps echo softly, accompanied by nothing but the sound of torches burning and sputtering. Then she heard it, "...do well to release us now, before more are hurt."

"Quiet, magician. You've already demonstrated how useless you are without the staff."

"Jinora," Kai whispered.

"Hold on." Mako tugged him back. "Remember the plan."

Kai glanced between him and the other end of the hall. Muffled chatter could be heard. "Do you think all three of them are there?" she asked.

"Let's find out," Mako nodded down the hall. "Stay close, and do not engage them in combat unless they strike first. I want to take them out quietly, if possible."

They rounded the corner and saw a two guards. One roughly shoved Jinora back into some kind of cell. The other glared at Mako and Bolin.

"What's this?" he asked.

"I caught these two sneaking around outside the entrance. I was told to bring them here to secure with the others." Mako gave Asami a push and she stumbled forward.

"Good work." The first guard stepped aside to let Mako take Kai and Asami into the cell. Asami took a few steps forward and then let herself fall forward to the ground. The guard muttered a curse and bent down to pick her up. She rolled to the side and kicked with her legs, knocking one guard into the other. Immediately Mako and Bolin rushed the Red Lotus members and rendered them unconscious, or dead. Asami had no way of knowing. Bolin grabbed the keys off one of them and ran into the cell to undo their bindings.

"We're so glad to see you!" Opal said. As soon as Jinora's bindings were undone she launched herself at Kai, giving him a tight hug.

"Where's Korra?" Asami asked. The anxious feeling in her gut grew.

Jinora carefully untangled herself from a blushing Kai. "They're keeping her in the cavern. It's in a lower chamber, with a lot more security."

Mako raised a brow. "How do you know that?"

Jinora smiled. "Opal and I have been working on our magic while trapped. I've been astral projecting to-"

Asami held up her hand to halt the undoubtedly lengthy explanation. "Tell us how later. We need to get to her."

"I don't think it's going to be possible to sneak in, we'll likely have to fight our way through," Opal warned.

Asami looked around at them and grinned when she spotted two Red Lotus supply bags. "I have a plan."

"Really? Care to share?" Bolin asked.

"Jinora and Opal basically have a map of the tunnels, right?" She walked over to the sacks and opened one. The small spheres she had seen the Red Lotus assassins were inside. "Do you know how they make that white light?"

"It's not magic," Opal said.

Jinora stroked her chin thoughtfully. "I think it's like Dad's fireworks."

"So would you know how to use these?" Asami asked, holding up one of the devices.

Jinora walked over and took the orb from her. She turned it over and nodded. "It shouldn't be too hard to use. I'll see if I can find some goggles or something to keep us from blinding ourselves."

Asami nodded. "Great. Let's go. I want to be the ones with the advantage this time."

* * *

Korra jerked awake. She wasn't sure how long she had slept. She didn't remember falling asleep to begin with. Faintly, she could hear the sounds of a commotion outside of the chamber's door. _Rescue? _She called out, "Hey!" The yell echoed around the chamber, but she received no response. The familiar clamor of battle came to her ears. _I have to get out of here._ She started rocking the cage again, ignoring the shooting pain her shoulders.

She was gaining momentum when a boom echoed around her and the room flooded with light. She looked away, and when the light faded she saw Bolin locked in a struggle with a Red Lotus member. He had one arm around the assassin's neck, tugging hard as his free hand fought to grab the keys the assassin clung to. Bolin managed to shove the man away and landed a solid punch to his chest, followed with a blow to the back of the neck. The man fell to the floor, unmoving.

"Korra!" Bolin shouted, looking around the chamber.

"Up here!" she called back.

He looked up and frowned, likely trying to determine how to get her down. Another Red Lotus appeared behind him. "Behind you!" she cried. The assailant raised his weapon to strike, but it never landed. Instead Korra watched as a sword pierced his chest.

"That's my brother," Mako growled, pushing the man off his sword with a foot. He walked into the chamber and looked around for more attackers. "You need to stay more alert, Bolin."

"Of course. Lecture me later. We found Korra!" Bolin gestured toward her with both hands.

"I'm so glad you're here, but where is everyone else?" _Where is Asami?_

"Korra!" The sound of that voice made her breath hitch.

"Asami," she said. When she walked into the chamber, she had to swallow down a sob. "Asami, you're here."

"Of course I'm here." She walked forward, leading Opal and Jinora into the chamber with her. "We're going to get you down from there, all right?"

Korra nodded and waited as Asami walked over to stand under the cage. "Asami," she said again. Just to see here was enough to ease the aches in her body. Her throat burned. Her head pounded. None of that seemed to matter as much with Asami there. "Asami I'm so sorry. I lost the necklace." She blinked back tears, ashamed of her own hysterical response to the rescue.

"I'll make you another one. I'll make you ten. You could lose one every single day for as long as I live, and I'll make you as many necklaces to replace it as needed." Asami released a chuckle that sounded more like a sob. "I'm just so happy you're still alive."

"How nice that you all are neatly in this cell." Zaheer said. Korra's heart dropped to the pit of her stomach as she saw him walk into the cavern. Asami and the others rounded on Zaheer. His three companions entered behind him. Korra gripped the bars. She wanted to be down there fighting, not stuck in this cage. _I need to protect them._

"We're taking Korra out of here." Asami raised her hands in a defensive stance, a spiked gauntlet on her right hand. Their lined up next to her, weapons drawn.

"You want them alive, Zaheer?" The knife thrower twirled a dagger in his hands. His lips curled into a sneer.

"Try to keep the girls alive, but the boys are more trouble than they're worth." Zaheer rushed forward, and Korra watched helplessly as Asami moved to engage him.

* * *

A/N Yeah it's late. We know. It ended up being a little longer than we anticipated so we took a bit longer to write it. We should be wrapping up Part 1 of this story here soon (aka season 3 of LOK cannon) but the story WILL CONTINUE. We are talking about taking a little time off to get going on the second half and get a feel for how we want it to go. I'll make sure to keep you all updated.

Also, GAY MARRIAGE IN THE US GUYS! Now, I know the fight isn't over, but hot damn I'm gonna celebrate a victory like this! My aunt once told me that she never thought this would happen in her life time. Maybe my life time, she said, but not hers. Well, it happened today and she was one of the first people to message me about it. 2015 the year of the GAY! ~Sy


	21. Chapter 21

Asami rushed to meet Zaheer, intending to block his attack and force an opening. Zaheer twisted to the side and Asami quickly pivoted to face him once more. He lashed out with a low kick and Asami lept out of the way. He pressed forward but Asami was able to dodge each of his strikes. But each time she tried to counter his attack, he was gone. She heard Bolin cry out and she looked over at him. His opponent blew a stream of fire at him and he had dropped to the floor to roll out of the way. A second too late, she looked back and saw Zaheer rush in. She pulled her arms down into a block, but his foot slammed into her so hard that it knocked the wind from her lungs.

She stumbled backward, but managed to hold her defensive stance. In the distance, she heard Korra shout her name. She tried to block out the sounds around her. The fight would be over soon if she kept letting distractions get to her. She moved backward, letting Zaheer gain ground on her. She needed something to give her an edge.

A bang sounded in the air and a flash of light dazed her for a moment. She reached a hand over her eyes to shade her vision from the brilliance, but she already saw spots. She turned and looked away to see Jinora and Opal working together against the snake charmer and her serpent. She blocked Zaheer's blow at the last second. He grunted as his fist connected with the metal gauntlet.

She knew if she didn't do something soon, he would wear her down. _We have the flash fireworks, too, but I have to light one first. Lighting it takes time. Time that Zaheer won't give me. _She caught Bolin's eye from across the room to see him dodging a blast of fire from the tattooed woman. She darted her glance back to Zaheer then over at Bolin again, hoping he would understand her meaning.

Thankfully, he nodded and moved toward them, trying to position the fire breather closer to Zaheer. The next time she blew out a breath of fire, it startled Zaheer. Asami reached for one of the charges and tossed it through the flames at him. When it rolled at his feet, she saw the fuse burning. She grinned as Zaheer dove out of the way. She turned away just as the bang went off. She heard a scream, and when she turned around she saw Bolin standing with his spear driven right into the fire breather's gut. She clutched at the polearm weakly, and then her body went limp. Bolin slid the spear from her stomach and turned to help Mako against the knife thrower.

"P'li!" Zaheer yelled. He stood and rushed to her side, stooping to gather up her body in his arms. Asami charged, trying to take advantage of the moment, but he turned and glared at her, swiftly striking up and causing her to back away again. She panted hard. Prolonged fights were not her strength. She wanted to call to Bolin or Mako for help, but they had their hands full across the room. Asami managed to bring her fist down on his collarbone, slamming the gauntlet into him as hard as she could. It barely seemed to harm him. He growled and charged at her again.

* * *

Korra gripped the bars tightly. She wished there were some way she could be down on the ground helping in the fight. She was so focused on the chaos below her, she didn't notice Kai scaling the cavern wall until he was nearly eye-level with her. He waved from the side of the cave and held up a rope. He began tying something to the end of it.

Korra glanced from Kai back to fight. Small flashes of magic erupted from Jinora and Opal, and the woman with the snake responded in kind, sending her beast snapping towards them. A short way away from them, Mako and Bolin tried to hold their ground against a seemingly endless supply of knives. _I need to get down there._ Korra's stomach twisted into knots when she saw Asami desperately trying to hold her own against a rain of blows from Zaheer. _So help me, if he so much as bruises her…_ She wanted to rip the bars off of the cage. She wanted to be down there, fighting beside Asami. Anything would be better than watching helplessly.

She looked to where Jinora and Opal fought the snake charmer. By now, Korra could recognize the flashes of magic the woman used to manipulate the serpent. The entire thing could have been an illusion, the way it rippled and twisted around her, blocking the forks of lightning that Jinora and Opal shot at her. She sent the snake lunging at Jinora, and Opal took the opportunity to run forward with her staff. Opal swung the end at the woman like a club. She tried to change the direction of the snake, but she was too late. Opal connected with the back of the her head. The snake charmer screamed and fell over. Without her magic keeping it alive, the snake shimmered and disappeared.

Jinora and Opal rushed to Asami's aid, trying to use their magic to keep Zaheer off balance. Mako and Bolin continued to gain ground on the knife thrower. Bolin yelled out in pain as a knife sunk into his shoulder. Mako stumbled when his brother cried out. The knife thrower closed in. Mako struck out and his sword sliced through the man's chest.

A metallic ping made Korra look up. Kai had fitted a grappling hook to the end of the rope and swung it over to anchor on a cage bar. He gave it a tug and the cage swung toward him. The metal groaned and the cave ceiling showered her with rocks. She frantically shook her head at Kai, waving her hands to get him to stop. "Get down," she called. "It's not safe."

Kai ignored her and gave another tug. "We have to get you out of here, and I don't see a better way."

"Kai I've been trying to get out of here since I woke up. It's loose." She shook her head again. "If you put anymore weight on it, it's going to break."

"I just want to pull you over here and see if we can-" His eyes grew wide. Korra followed his gaze.

Time slowed down. She watched in horror as Zaheer pulled one of the lit fireworks from Asami's hand. He turned and looked right at Korra, his face hard lines of stoic rage. Asami ran to grab the explosive from him, but he threw it at Korra. "Kai! Leave!" she yelled, turning away and ducking as the firework sailed toward them. It exploded close to the top of the cave ceiling. Above her, the metal groaned, then snapped. Her stomach lurched as she felt the cage enter a freefall with her trapped inside. The cage hit the ground with a jolt and she screamed as her legs slammed into the floor. Her ears were ringing, and her breath came short.

She toppled to the side, her legs unable to support her anymore. The cage fell on its side and rolled further down into the cavern, bouncing her already bruised body against the iron bars. Korra gritted her teeth against the blinding pain that seared through her legs. When the cage finally stopped moving, she meant to cry for help, but her vision blurred and the words died in her throat.

* * *

Asami was torn between diving toward the cage to save Korra, and moving out of the way of another attack. Zaheer made the decision for her by blocking her route to Korra. He sneered at her and kicked out again. She blocked the foot and shoved back against him, hard. _This man is responsible for everything awful that has happened_. She lept at him, her anger fueling the wild swings of her fists. She lashed out quickly, striking anew each time he blocked. A blow connected to his side, another to his shoulder, and another still to his cheek. Zaheer fell to the ground, but Asami struck him again, over and over. He stopped moving, his head rolled back and eyes closed. She raised her gauntlet to finish him.

He lay beneath her, bleeding from cuts where her gauntlet had made contact, and barely breathing. She thought about swinging her fist. She imagined bringing the gauntlet down and smashing his face in, but she could not do it. Instead, Asami looked up. The others had gathered around the wreckage of the cage. _Korra._ She got up and ran over to the twisted metal. Jinora knelt next to Korra, still trapped. Her body was discolored from multiple bruises, and her legs stuck out at odd angles. Asami swallowed against tears.

"Is she breathing?" she asked.

"She's alive," Jinora said. "But we need to get her out of there."

Asami knelt by the cage and found the hinges to the door. They popped away easily, and she opened the cage. With Mako's help, they pulled Korra out. Asami lifted her up, cradling her against her chest. "Korra." She refused to let her tears fall. She was thinner than Asami remembered. Korra had only been trapped a few days, but she did not imagine they fed her much in that time.

"Asami," Jinora said. She glanced over at the young wizard. She stood beside Zaheer's unconscious form. She tapped her staff to his chest. "What do we do with him?"

"We cannot leave him, not after all he has done," Opal said, pressing the tip of her staff against his chest.

"Don't. We need him alive. I'm sure Su or Lin can get some information out of him," Asami said. She carried Korra over to him, looking down and thinking. "Kai, see if there's anything we can use to drag him out of here." The young squire nodded and ran from the cavern. He had collected a few more bruises from his fall, but had survived it far better than Korra. She glanced to Mako. "Tie him up." She resisted the urge to clutch Korra closer. "We need the horses, or we need to take their horses. Jinora, do you know where the stables are?"

Jinora nodded. "One of the tunnels opens out into the forest. They keep the animals there."

"How many more Red Lotus do you think are left?" Mako asked. He cast a concerned glance at his brother.

"With all the commotion we've caused, they're either long gone, or heading right for us." Opal glared at Zaheer. "We should just finish him off. He's just going to slow us down."

"No," Asami said firmly. "He's too valuable." _Korra wouldn't want that._

Kai ran back in with some canvas. "Will this work?"

Mako picked up the rope Kai had used on the cage. "Let's do this quickly. I'll drag him."

Asami nodded and shifted so that she held Korra more securely. "Let's get out of here."

"Asami, we could make something to carry Korra," Jinora offered.

"It's all right." She cradled Korra close. "I've got her."

* * *

A/N Well here's another chapter for you all. Probably one more before we take a small break. We will finish it out with S4 of LOK plot. But we just want to take a little time to get a good handle on what we call "part 2." Just so there is no confusion, the story will not be split into two stories. It's just we think of it as S3 and S4. So it will all be here on this same story but it just might be a while before you see another update. Streaming will be at 5pm PST on Saturday on the twitch channel Luraline. Some come hang out with us! ~Sy


	22. Chapter 22

Korra groaned and forced her eyes open. As her surroundings came into focus, she realized she was not in her room. It looked familiar, but it took her a moment to recognize it as her room in Zaofu. She closed her eyes and sighed, tilting her head back. Just as she settled, however, the sense of falling overtook her. She gasped and sat up, clutching at her covers. Her body immediately protested, pain lancing through her limbs. She grabbed her shoulder to ease the throbbing and looked around the empty room.

_Asami. Where's Asami?_ _What if….no. Don't think it._ She tried to swing her legs over the side of the bed. She managed to lift up slightly, but it felt like there was a lead weight attached to her feet. Another flash of memory. The sound of the cage banging against the cavern floor. The crunch of her legs. Asami's scream for her. Tentatively, she reached down and pressed a hand against her thigh. She sighed with relief when she could feel the touch.

Korra flung the sheets aside. Her panic subsided a little when she saw that she at least still _had_ legs. Both of her legs, from her feet to just under her knee, were wrapped in bandages. She tried to wiggle her toes and bit back a scream. Her heart pounded, and she clutched at the bedsheets.

"Hello?" she called. Her voice was hoarse, her throat dry. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Hello? Is anyone out there?" She heard footsteps thunder down the hallway. The door slid open, revealing Asami. She stood there a moment and stared at Korra.

"You're awake."

Hearing Asami's voice made her heart ache. "You're alive." Her voice broke. Her arms shook as she tried to lift herself from the bed. She wanted to hold Asami, even if she knew she had no hope of standing. The movement spurred Asami into action, however. She crossed the room in a few quick strides. Asami wrapped her arms around Korra and buried her face in Korra's neck. Korra gripped her tightly. She tried to say something, but only managed a sob. Tears flowed down her cheeks no matter how hard she tried to keep them back.

"I was so scared when I saw the cage drop," Asami murmured. "I thought I'd lost you."

"The last thing I remembered was Zaheer attacking you." Korra paused to draw in a shuddery breath. "When I woke up and didn't see you here…" She let the rest of the words die out. Asami pressed a kiss against the side of her cheek, and then another, and another. She trailed kisses across Korra's face until their lips met. Korra kissed her deeply, threading her fingers in Asami's hair to guide her closer. She moved her free hand to wrap around Asami's waist, but gasped as the pain returned. Asami pulled away.

"Korra, I'm so sorry. You're hurt, I shouldn't have-"

Korra leaned up and stole a quick kiss. "Don't apologize. We'll just have to be careful for a little while." She laced her fingers with Asami's and tugged her close. "Thank you for rescuing me."

Asami gave a small smile. "I told you if you didn't come back, I'd find you."

Korra tugged again so that Asami sat down on the bed next to her. "I never doubted."

"Korra?" Korra looked to the doorway to see her father standing there with tears in his eyes. "Thank the ancestors." Asami moved aside so that he could kneel beside her and carefully pull her into his arms.

She gave a weak hug back. "Father? What are you doing here?"

Tonraq pulled away enough to look into Korra's eyes. "I got word from Su that you were captured. I was going to bring a whole army with me." He smiled and ruffled her hair. "But when I got here it seems that someone already had saved you." He turned to Asami. "Thank you for bringing my daughter back."

Asami blushed and nodded. Korra reached over and took Asami's hand giving it a gentle squeeze. Tonraq raised a brow and a smile tugged at his lips. "Well, it seems that knock to your head did some good."

Korra smiled and shook her head. "I had that figured out before any of this happened."

"Well, it's all for the better, then." Tonraq stood and smiled down at them. But his smile faded and he sighed, placing his hands on his hips like he always did when lost in thought. "We have Zaheer imprisoned here," he said, a dark shadow flickering across his face. "Though who knows how many of his followers are left, or if there are even more people out there stronger than him. Who did he answer to?" Tonraq walked over to the room's window and looked outside.

Asami glanced at Korra with a worried look. Korra shrugged and Asami glanced back to her father. "We don't know. We hoped you or Su would."

Tonraq glanced back and offered them another smile, though this one seemed less genuine. It did not stretch as far. "Yes, well, we shall figure that out, I suppose. It's nothing you two need to worry about anymore. You have both done so much." He walked over to Korra and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I will come see you later. Rest now."

Tonraq shut the door as he left. With a groan, Korra lay back down. She felt Asami run a hand over her cheek. She sighed and leaned into the caress. "How are you feeling?" Asami asked.

"In pain," Korra said. Now that she had woken up, she could feel the throbbing ache of her body. Her legs were on fire. "I broke a lot of things, didn't I?"

Asami stroked the side of her head. "You shattered the bones in your legs, yes. But the healers were able to set everything properly. You should be able to begin walking in a couple months. You'll need to if you want to keep the strength in your legs."

"A couple months? Can't they just magic it back together right now?" Korra glanced up at Asami with a pitiful frown.

"That's not how magic works, according to Jinora." Asami leaned down and kissed her forehead again. "I'm going to fetch a healer and some food for you. Please try to stay awake."

"I'll try." Even as she spoke, Korra suppressed a yawn. "But I can't promise anything. I'm tired."

"You'll get a reward if you do." Asami grinned and gave her a wink.

Korra gave her a mock salute. "I'll do my best, ma'am."

* * *

Asami watched Korra's expression carefully. "Well, what do you think?" she asked.

"I don't know." Korra eyed the chair with a furrowed brow. "You and I don't have the best luck with inventions."

Asami bit her lip. The words sounded like a joke, but she knew better. Over the past few weeks, she had watched the light fade from Korra's smile. She had hoped this chair would help her regain some of her mobility, some of her pride. "I promise you that this is absolutely safe. I pushed Bolin around in it yesterday." Asami edged the chair a little closer. "Come on, I know you want to get out of this room."

Korra's expression darkened. "I don't know, Asami…"

"What's wrong?" _Please talk to me._

Korra was quiet for a long moment. She would not meet Asami's eyes. "It's been weeks and I still can't even stand. I just...I hate the way people look at me. To have you pushing me around...it's embarrassing."

Asami held up a hand. "I actually thought of that." She sat down in the chair herself. "It might take some getting used to but…" She gripped both of the wheels and pushed, making the chair roll forward. "See? And if you push on one, you turn." She demonstrated by wheeling in a small circle.

Korra looked down at her hands. "I don't think I'm strong enough to push myself."

Asami gripped the wheels tightly, trying to keep herself from crying in frustration. "Well, why don't we try it here, in the room?" She had worked for so long on this, convinced that it would cheer up Korra. Instead, she seemed even worse off.

"I don't want to." Korra pulled her blanket up tightly around herself.

"Korra-"

"I don't want to, okay?" Korra snapped.

Asami took a breath to keep from yelling back. "Okay." Asami stood up from the chair. "Do you mind if I leave this in here? The workshop is getting a little crowded."

"That's fine," Korra mumbled.

Asami sat down on the edge of the bed. "Is there anything I can do?" She reached over to take Korra's hand.

"No." Korra moved her hand away, tucking it under the comforter. "I'm fine."

Asami's heart ached. Part of her wanted to pull Korra into her arms and hold her, the other part of her wanted to shake her until she got some kind of response. _I'm losing her. _Reluctantly she left the room. She closed the door behind her, leaving it slightly ajar in case Korra needed her. She was running out of projects to keep occupied. She sighed and leaned against the wall, searching her mind to think of something she could do.

A thud from Korra's room made her jump. She put her hand on the door knob, ready to burst in, but she held back. _If she needs help she'll call me._ Her ears strained as she tried to listen for any signs of distress. She heard Korra curse, followed a creaking sound. _The chair. Is she trying the chair?_ Silently, she peered into Korra's room. Korra struggled to adjust herself in the wheeled chair. She reached down and grabbed her legs, moving them until they sat right. She panted a little, and leaned back with her eyes closed. Korra took a deep breath and gripped the wheels, pushing forward. The chair inched across the floor. Korra made it about half way before she stopped. Slowly a smile spread across her lips. Asami turned away before she was spotted, wiping at the tears in her eyes.

* * *

A/N Hey guys. We'll be taking a little break from updating this story. WE WILL BE POSTING MORE ONCE WE HAVE A HANDLE ON WHERE WE WANT TO GO. Don't worry we promise to finish it (and also Conflict Resolution at some point) As always you can come hang out with us on Saturday's at 5pm pacific time on the twitch channel Luraline. Keep an eye on my tumblr Sy-itha for updates on when this story will return ~Sy


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